Custody
by LLF
Summary: The story of the 'Duplex' family continues.  Definitely AU. Definitely sugar coated. Definitely fun.
1. Chapter 1

Abby Lockhart Kovac dropped down onto the park bench where her friend, Susan Lewis was waiting. She stamped her feet free of the slushy wet leaves that clung to them. She hated early spring and everything that came with it. Slush. Cold, wet weather and mud. Lots of mud.

"Do you want to tell me why we're doing this again?" she gasped and took a drink from the open water bottle Susan offered her.

"We're getting in shape," Susan said enthusiastically. "Working all those long dormant muscles!" Abby eyed her suspiciously as she handed the bottle back.

"Yours may have been dormant but mine haven't been," she said ruefully. "I have been lugging around an eighteen pound baby for the last eleven months." Susan looked at her in surprise.

"Eighteen?" she said. "I could have sworn he was at least twenty." Abby shrugged. Susan sighed and then stood up on the sidewalk. She started jogging in place.

"Come on," she urged. "Let's go one more time around the park and then we'll walk home." She tugged on the edge of her sweatshirt and looked down at Abby expectantly.

"Aw gee, Mom," Abby groaned reluctantly. "Do I have to?" Susan laughed and tugged at her friend's arm. Abby dragged herself up and started jogging in place with Susan as she mumbled something.

"What did you say?" Susan asked as she tugged an ipod ear bud from her ear.

"I said….it's total crap what 'new love' does to your friends," Abby groused. Susan laughed and then they set off on the jogging path through the park.

Scott Porter was sitting on the front steps of the duplex when the two friends rounded the end of the sidewalk and headed up toward the house. The chocolate brown lab that was sitting between his knees on the step stood up and wagged his tail.

"Hi!" Susan called. Scott waved as he released the dog's leash and Fudge bounded down the sidewalk toward her. Susan's smile was wide as she caught the leash and reined the dog to her side, patting his neck and scratching his ears.

"Good morning, Abby," Scott said as she climbed the steps next to him. "You're looking good."

"Yeah yeah…." she said without looking at him. "You owe me a pizza this time. Double cheese with bacon and dried Roma tomatoes, please."

"Just add it to my tab," he laughed as she opened her front door. She snapped her fingers as she went inside and he laughed again.

"Good morning," Susan said as she leaned down to kiss him. "What are you doing here so early?" She sat next to him on the step and pulled the dog's leash so he was sitting on the step in front of them.

"I got a call from one of my residents and I am on my way in to the hospital," he said. Susan reached over to rub a smudge of something off his cheek.

"I just dropped the girls off for their cecchetti classes," he said. "Do you think you can pick them up for me and bring them here? When I'm finished we can all go out for an early dinner."

"Oooh…that sounds great," she said as she leaned in for another kiss. "No cooking!" Scott grinned as he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Do you remember where the studio is?" he asked as he nuzzled her ear.

"I think so," she rolled her eyes. "I've picked them up once before. You told them I would be there, right?"

"They're looking forward to it," he said. "I left some jeans and shirts for them inside." He kissed her again.

"Ummm…love you," she said as he drew away and pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"I love you too." He stood up and waved as he got into his car and pulled away. Susan waved as the car left and patted the dog again.

"Come on, Fudgie," she sighed. "Let's hit the showers." The dog bounded up the steps and followed her into the duplex.

It wasn't that far to the dance studio but she anticipated having trouble finding a parking spot so they left a little early. She found a chair in the waiting area and Cosmo plopped onto the floor in front of her with his Game Boy. The room began to fill with students and parents for the next session and Susan looked around her with interest. The little ones were going in next. Tiny little girls in pink and black dance tights with ribbons and bows in their ponytails were slipping their feet into tiny little ballet slippers. Cosmo tucked his feet under him and looked up at her in dismay as someone got a little too close to his face with a flouncy tutu. Susan laughed and ruffled his hair. The classroom door opened and Casey was the first one through it.

"Susan!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around her in a hug.

"Hi, sweetheart," Susan hugged her back. "How was your class?" Casey looked around her and then scowled furtively as she shook her head. The woman laughed and opened the bag Casey had dropped into her lap. She pulled out a long red sweater jacket and a pair of tennis shoes. Casey dropped onto the carpeted floor next to Cosmo and watched his game while she removed her ballet shoes and slipped her feet into the sneakers. She didn't even look up as she handed her worn dance shoes to Susan. The pink leather was rubbed clean at the toes and Susan tucked one inside of the other. A stream of older girls came through the door and Susan looked up watching for Molly as she slipped Casey's shoes into her bag. The girls were dressed alike in black leotards and tights. Most of them were wearing knit leg warmers as well. Everyone had their hair pulled into tight knots at the back of their heads. Susan smiled when she finally saw Molly. She had her arm around another girl and they were chatting away. Molly's brown eyes lit up when she saw Susan and she waved.

"Hey, kiddo!" Susan said as Molly made her way around the chairs and people toward her still holding her friend by the hand.

"This is my friend, Chelsea," Molly said as she pulled the other girl forward. "This is Susan. She's my dad's girlfriend."

"Hi, Chelsea," Susan said. "Its very nice to meet you." My dad's girlfriend. Susan loved the way Molly said it with such ease now.

"Hi…" Chelsea said shyly. She looked around and then nodded at her own waiting mother.

"I have to go," she said with a smile. "I'll call you later, Molly."

"Okay," Molly grinned and watched her walk away and then sat next to Susan when the chair was free. She was smiling as she slipped her shoes off and put them in the bag that held her street shoes.

"You must have had a great class today," Susan said as she studied her face. "Three hours of dance and you're smiling. Aren't you tired?"

"No," Molly sighed as she drew her sweater out of her bag. "I love it." Susan chuckled and wrapped an arm around the girl.

"I know you do," she said as she hugged her. She picked up her hand.

"Come on," she said. "Your dad brought some clothes for you over to my house."

"I don't know why we don't just leave some of our clothes at your house all the time," Casey said as pulled the braid free from the bun on the top of her head and stood up.

"What?" Susan exclaimed as she pushed open the nearby door and went out on the street. "And make more laundry for me to do?" Casey giggled.

"You don't do the laundry. Susie does," she said. Susan gasped.

"And who told you that?" Casey laughed again and then Susan felt Molly's hand slide out of hers. Both girls stopped in their tracks on the sidewalk.

"Hi Grandma," Molly said brightly as a woman hurried toward them on the sidewalk. She was wearing an expensively cut winter coat over her slacks. Impeccably dressed and coifed from head to toe.

"I am so glad I caught you!" the woman exclaimed as she drew Molly into a hug. "I just happened to be on this side of town and thought I would come and get you so we can have lunch together."

"But daddy wants us to go home with Susan," Casey huffed disappointedly. "We have plans."

Rachel Hewitt turned cold brown eyes to Susan.

"Oh, I am sure your daddy wouldn't mind if you were to spend your afternoon with your Grandma," the older woman said brightly. "Would he?" Susan glanced from one face to the other. Molly seemed resigned but Casey was visibly disappointed.

"Maybe Susan can come with us," Molly suggested quietly. Rachel's

gaze hardened a bit.

"Oh, sweetie, I have to take Cosmo shoe shopping," Susan said. "Maybe we can do it another time."

"I don't need new shoes," Cosmo piped up from her side.

"Yes, you do, honey," Susan said as she pulled him closer to her. "Your toes are almost popping out of those sneakers." Cosmo looked down at his shoes in confusion.

"Please tell Scott that I will call him when I'm ready to bring them home again," Rachel said as she took a firm grip on both of her granddaughters and turned to walk away. Susan watched them go and then shivered. The sun was shining but the air was suddenly colder.

"Mom," Cosmo said. "Do we really have to get new shoes or was that one of those little lies that you said are okay to say so people's feelings don't get hurt?"

"I need some new shoes because I definitely want to throw them at somebody," she muttered angrily.

"What did you say?" the little boy beside her frowned.

"Nothing," Susan sighed. She looked down at her son and smiled.

"Ice cream or cupcake?" she asked and he grinned.

Scott was livid.

"Why didn't you tell her no?" he almost shouted over the phone. Susan held the cell phone away from her ear.

"I'm not going to fight with her, Scott," she said. "Not out on the street and not in front of the girls." She was watching Cosmo scale a rock climbing wall at the playground in the park.

"Besides," she went on. "I don't have any real rights to them. I'm just your girlfriend. She's their grandmother."

"You are more than that," he said as he calmed down. "You know it and so do they."

"Yeah, well tell that to the police officer that she probably would have called," Susan said.

"They would have called me and I would have told them that the girls were to go with you!" he bellowed.

"Calm down," Susan said quietly. "Has she ever done this before?"

"She's never picked them up at dance unless it was their weekend to stay with their grandparents," he said. "She knows better than to do that."

"Then how did she know I was getting them today, Scott?" Susan asked. "Do you think one of the girls called her? Maybe they wanted to go with her." He laughed on the other end of the call.

"I seriously doubt that. They were so excited when I said I was going to have you pick them up." Susan was mulling that one over. Casey was always a given. She loved spending time at the duplex. Molly was a mystery though.

"They…both….were, Susan," he said finally. "Honest, sweetheart." She smiled softly. Sometimes it felt like he could read her mind.

"I'm sorry that you had to go to the dance studio for nothing," he said.

"Oh, I got a cupcake out of it," she said. "Which kind of voided that whole morning run with Abby. But don't tell her, okay?" Scott chuckled.

"Its still kind of strange that she knew I was picking them up," Susan mused. "Are you going to be much longer?" Scott sighed heavily.

"I wish I weren't," he said.

"Well, call me later when you know what's going on," she said.

"I will," he said. "I'll talk to you soon." Susan smiled and turned off her cell phone. Cosmo had reached the top of the climbing wall and had crawled over the top to the fort. He waved and then disappeared down the slide at the other side. Weird that their grandmother had known that their dad wouldn't be picking them up. Was someone actually watching them? A chill ran up her spine and Susan shook her head. Creepy.


	2. Click

"Grandma needs to get a life," Susie scowled as she added another cooked meatball to the pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove.

"Grandma has a life," Susan replied blithely and tore another leaf for the salad a tad more viciously than necessary. "Molly and Casey are her life."

"But Scott is their dad," Susie frowned and folded her arms across her chest as she leaned against the sink and looked at Susan worriedly. "He should be the one making decisions about them, about where they go and stuff like that." Susan cast a rueful glance in Susie's direction.

"He did," she sighed. "I was the one that wimped out and gave Grandma her way."

"I can't imagine you wimping out about anything," Susie shook her head. "Not where a kid is involved anyway." Susan studied the contents of the salad thoughtfully as she finished tearing the lettuce leaves and added them to the bowl.

"I guess you had to be there," she sighed. They both looked up as they heard the front door open and Cosmo raced through the house and burst into the kitchen.

"They're here!" he exclaimed. "And look what Scott brought me! And it's a real one!" He had his arms wrapped around a football helmet. Susan's mouth dropped open.

"Casey has one too! I'm going to go play with her!" The ecstatic little boy did a u-turn and was gone, but not before he almost crashed into Scott.

"Whoa!" the man said as he held the box in his hands up and then laughed as Cosmo plowed around him and disappeared out the door.

"A football helmet?" Susan said. Scott shrugged and set the box down on the table.

"I signed him up for a peewee learning league with Casey," Scott said as he picked a piece of green pepper from the salad bowl and chewed on it. "There are some papers you have to sign first but they start tomorrow afternoon."

"You signed him up without asking me first?" Susan gasped softly and pushed his hand away as he reached for a cucumber slice. Scott shrugged and leaned back against the door jamb.

"Sorry," he said. "Guess you had to kind of be there." He sighed heavily.

"I promised Casey a long time ago that if she hung in there with the dance classes her Mom wanted her to have that I would find a way for her to play football too," he explained. "And after the row I just had with her Grandmother….." He shook his head and Susie snickered.

"But why football, Scott?" Susan whined as she nudged past him to set the salad bowl on the dining table. "I kind of hoped to get him into something safer." Scott grimaced.

"It's peewee, Susan," he drawled. "A learning league? At the Y?" She put her hand on her hip and glared at him.

"You like to watch football," Susie added as she carried plates to the table. "What's the big deal?"

"Yes, I do and nobody asked you," Susan said, glaring at her. "Big beefy men in tight pants crashing into one another I can watch. Just not my baby. It's too dangerous. I have treated too many little kids with football injuries."

"They teach them all the safety rules," Scott said. "And they wear all the pads and mini equipment. What could be safer?"

"Uh, gymnastics…swimming….figure skating…." Susan counted them off on her fingers. "Soccer…"

"That's for wimps," Scott grimaced shook his head.

"Better not say that in front of Luka," Susie warned as she pushed past him to the kitchen again. "Lauren already has cleats." Scott frowned at her. He sighed and then moved toward Susan.

"Look," he sighed as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Casey refused to eat anything when they went with her today. She insisted that we had plans and she didn't want to spoil her dinner." Susie applauded from the kitchen. Susan looked up at him and her shoulders sagged under his fingers. Her face fell.

"Rachel was so pissed," Scott snickered. Susan chuckled. Her smile faded as she studied his face.

"I have to work tomorrow," she said.

"I'll take him," Scott said. "It'll be fun."

"Can I go too?" Susie asked from the kitchen door. "I can hide in the bushes and take a video. Cosmo and Casey playing peewee football has all the makings of a You Tube classic." Scott's eyebrows raised in hope as Susan continued to study him.

"Okay," she sighed heavily.

"Yes!" Scott mouthed happily and leaned to kiss her.

"Well, if Casey hasn't eaten all day I think I need to add some meat balls to the spaghetti," Susie said brightly. Susan shook her head as he slid an arm across her shoulders and led her reluctantly to the front door.

"You should have seen her grandmother's face when I told Casey we needed to hurry and leave so we could go sign her up for football," he sniggered. "Classic." Susan chuckled and shook her head as she reached up to lace her fingers in his.

"And you enjoyed every minute of it," she said.

"Every second…." he corrected her. "It's a wicked game we play." They went out on the porch and leaned against the rail to watch the children in the front yard. Susan groaned as Cosmo slid into the wet grass to catch the football Molly tossed to him. He stood up with mud plastered jeans and threw a perfectly spiraling football toward Casey.

"Wow!" Scott exclaimed and exchanged wide eyed looks with Susan. "Did you see that?" Her face fell and she sighed.

"My baby boy is becoming a man child," she said sadly. Scott shrugged.

"It could be worse, you know." He shrugged and tipped a head back to the kids. Casey was running toward Cosmo and they slammed their helmets into one another and laughed as they fell backward onto the ground.

"It could be your baby….girl….out there," he said. Susan laughed and he grinned as he leaped down the steps. He scooped Casey up under one arm and Cosmo under the other. They both shrieked as he spun them around and then fell back onto the wet grass with them. Molly did a perfect pirouette and landed on top of them all.

"They are crazy," Susie laughed as she stepped out onto the porch and moved next to Susan.

"Ya think?" Susan grimaced and glanced over at her niece. Susie nodded and wrapped an arm around the porch post.

"How did you and I ever get mixed up with that bunch?" she asked as she watched them. Susan shook her head in feigned dismay and wrapped an arm around the girl beside her. They watched the wrestling match in the wet grass and Susan shook her head.

"That's an awful lot of laundry to do," she sighed. Susie grinned at her and hugged her closer. Unbeknownst to them, a camera shutter clicked in a car parked across the street.


	3. Pox

"I checked his records, you know," the school secretary said as she slapped Cosmo's emergency card onto the desk in front of Susan. "He didn't have a second chicken pox vaccination."

"He didn't?" Susan studied his records for a moment. "I'm sorry. I'll take care of that right a way."

"I don't think it will be necessary now." The secretary looked knowingly toward the little boy huddled sadly in the chair by the door. Cosmo looked up at her and waved his hand a little. His face was flushed and his forehead and hair beaded with sweat.

"Hey, buddy," Susan said as she squatted down in front of him. "Not feeling so good, huh?" Cosmo shook his head. She felt his forehead and then tipped his chin so she could study the red pin pricks behind his ear.

"Yeah," she sighed. 'It does look like chicken pox." Cosmo's eyes flooded with tears.

"I don't want to get chicken poops, Mommy," he began to cry.

"Chicken poops?" Susan suppressed a laugh and drew him into a hug. "What are you talking about?" She set Cosmo back on the chair and wiped the tears off his cheeks.

"Cameron said that when you get chicken pox they pop open and the stuff inside is chicken poop!" He started to cry harder and leaned into her. Susan tried hard to stifle a laugh as she hugged him again. Her eyes met the secretary's and she shook her head.

"Oh honey," she said. "That's not true. Trust me. Mom is a doctor and she knows. They do ooze open but it makes a plain old scab." Cosmo sobbed harder and Susan stood up with him in her arms. She hoisted him higher and grabbed his back pack with her hand and nodded to the secretary as she left the office. She carried him out of the school and buckled him, still sobbing, into his seat in her car. By the time they reached the duplex, he was sound asleep. She woke him up, got him inside, into his pajamas, dosed him with a fever reducer and tucked him into bed. She had just dropped on to the couch to call him when her cell phone began to ring. She checked the caller id and smiled.

"Hello there," she said as she pushed the key and settled into the couch cushions to talk.

"You'll never guess where I am," Scott said.

"You'll never guess where I have been," Susan laughed.

"I am on my way to pick Casey up from school," he said.

"And I just got home with Cosmo," she said.

"Chicken pox?" he asked.

"Oh yeah" she laughed. "And I got the evil eye glare from the office secretary for not having him vaccinated properly."

"At least your specialty isn't communicable diseases," he groaned. Susan laughed and then sighed.

"You might as well bring her over here," she said.

"Really?" She smiled at the relief in his voice.

"Yeah," she said. "I don't have a shift again until Thursday afternoon so we should probably contain the little buggers in one spot."

"I love you," he said.

"Prove it and pick up some oatmeal bath, calamine lotion and chicken noodle soup for me," she said.

"Well, you are certainly easy to please," Scott said, "All that and one slightly feverish kid coming right up." Susan smiled softly as she disconnected the call and then stood up from the couch. She went into the basement in search of the folding cot Abby used when Maggie was in town. By the time Scott arrived with Casey, she had it set up and made up with fresh bedding in Cosmo's room.

"My head hurts," Casey sighed as she leaned into Susan for a hug when she opened the front door for them.

"I know, honey," she said. "I have a bed all made up for you up stairs so you can get some sleep. I even found a night shirt of Susie's until daddy brings your own things." The little girl nodded against her chest and sighed miserably. Scott came up the steps with two grocery sacks and Casey's school backpack.

"Her teacher sent her school books," he said. "And my housekeeper is packing a bag for her. I'll bring it by tonight after I make arrangements for Molly."

"Are you sure she's not going to come down with it too?" Susan asked as she took the bags from him.

"She had them when she was three," Scott said as he kissed her quickly. "Just before Casey was born. It caused all kinds of drama."

"Daddy said Molly has a chicken pox scar on her butt," Casey said as she squinted her eyes and looked up at Susan.

"She's not going to like you telling people that," Scott warned as he kissed the top of her head.

"Dad," Casey drawled in exasperation.. "It's Susan."

"Yeah, Dad," Susan mimicked. Scott's eyes twinkled and he kissed her again.

"I'll be back," he shook a finger at both of them. "Behave yourselves." They watched as he pulled the car back into the street and then Susan closed the door. She felt Casey's forehead.

"Well, you don't feel so hot," Susan said. "But let's get you some ibuprofen and take a little nap." Casey sniffed and nodded as Susan led her to the stairs.

It was after ten when Scott returned. He let himself into the quiet house with his key and set the over night bag down by the door. He loosened his tie and then made his way up the stairs. He peeked into Cosmo's room but both beds were empty. With a frown he made his way into the master bedroom and then smiled. Fudge lifted his dark head and wapped his tail in greeting from his spot on the big bed. They were all sound asleep in the dim light from the bedside lamp. The little table was littered with water bottles, a tissue box and a child proof bottle of ibuprofen. Cosmo was sprawled across Susan's legs and had one hand buried in the dog's fur. He was snoring. Scott gathered the little boy into his arms and the dog followed him as he carried Cosmo across the hall to his own bed. Casey was snuggled close to Susan under the sheets and Susan's cheek was resting on the top of his daughter's head. Scott watched them for a second and then leaned down to extract Casey from the bed clothes. Susan's eyes opened and looked up at him in momentary confusion.

"Hi," he whispered as he lifted his sleeping daughter out of the bed. "I put Cosmo in his bed. I'll be right back." Susan nodded and sat up on the edge of the bed. She tugged at the tee shirt she wore. It was damp with sweat. She pulled it over her head and tossed it toward the laundry basket as she stood up and reached for the top drawer of her dresser. She rifling through the clothes in the drawer when he came back and snapped the door shut behind him.

"Ooooh….for me?" he said as his eyes swept over her body. Susan rolled her eyes.

"Don't get too excited," she said as she slipped a light cotton night gown over her head. "They'll be back in this bed in exactly two hours when that anti itch medicine wears off."

Scott laughed quietly and folded his jacket over the chair in the corner of the room and unbuttoned his shirt.

"Did you get Molly settled?" Susan asked as she picked up the used tissues from the floor and put them in the waste basket.

"Yes," Scott nodded. "And she was actually angry that I wasn't bringing her here. I had trouble convincing her that her grandparents would be able to get her back and forth to school easier. She's worried about Casey so I promised her that I would bring her over to see her sister one afternoon this week." Susan nodded and watched him empty his pockets onto her dresser.

"I'm going to check on Susie and get some fresh sheets," she said. Scott nodded and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"No fever," he deducted. Susan grinned and slapped his chest playfully. He snickered as she left the room. He slipped into the pajama pants he kept in her drawer and peeled back the blankets and sheets on her bed.

"I could get used to this," Scott said the next morning as he buttered a piece of toast at the small kitchen table. Susan rolled her eyes and stirred the scrambled eggs in the pan on the stove.

"Doesn't happen too often in this house," she said wryly.

"Aunt Susan," Susie asked as she dropped her backpack onto the second chair at the table. "Where's the ibuprofen? "

"On the table next to my bed," Susan said as she slipped scrambled eggs onto his plate. "Why?" Susie stood in the kitchen door and sighed heavily. Scott looked up at her and chewed thoughtfully on his toast. He stood up from the table and felt her forehead.

"Has she had chicken pox?" he asked.

"Not since she's been with me," Susan said as she reached for a thermometer from the counter and slipped it into Susie's mouth. "But there is about an eight year span that I don't have any official records for."

"What about the vaccine?" he asked. Susan shrugged.

"Come on, guys," Susie groaned as she took the thermometer out. "Don't go all doctor on me. It's just a spring cold." Susan took the thermometer from her and put it back in her mouth with a warning frown. Susie sighed in exasperation as they waited.

"Do you have any sort of a rash anywhere?" Susan asked. Susie shook her head. Susan pulled the thermometer out, checked the reading and then looked at Scott.

"One hundred and three," she said flatly.

"Really?" Susie's eyes were wide. "I never thought it was that high." Susan slipped the thermometer back into the alcohol filled container on the counter. Scott adjusted his tie and slipped into his suit jacket.

"Looks like you're going in with me," he said. Susie's mouth dropped open.

"Scott…" Susan protested. He kissed her.

"She'll be fine," he said. "I dose her with some Zovirax and send her home again in a cab."

"But I've got a paper to write," Susie cried. "I'm not finished with the research and its due next week!" Scott took her by the hand and pulled her toward the door.

"You'll have plenty of time to write when you get home," he said smoothly.

"Wait!" Susan opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water from the shelf. She hurried out and thrust it into Susie's hand. She kissed the girl's hot forehead and pushed her out the door after Scott.

"I'll be waiting for you," she said worriedly. Susie nodded and folded her arms stubbornly across her chest as she opened the passenger side of the car and dropped into the front seat. She fastened the seat belt and waved forlornly out the window.

She had started the washing machine, put some clean clothes away and had called Abby at the hospital to fill her in on what had happened when he finally called.

"I'm admitting her, Susan," Scott said quietly.

"What?" Susan cried as she sat straighter in her seat on the stair step. "Why?"

"Apparently she has been dosing herself for a fever for three days," he said. "And she has a dry cough that's worrying me a little. I'm going to have a pulmonary guy look at her."

"She's at Northwestern?" Susan exclaimed. "Send her over to County, Scott. Please."

"If I do that, I won't be able to manage her care, babe," he said quietly.

"She doesn't know anyone there," Susan pleaded.

"She knows me," he replied. She was silent.

"Take care of her, Scott," she said quietly after a long moment.

"Like she is my own, honey," he assured her. "Do you think your dad could stay with Cosmo and Casey for a little while so you can come and sign all the admittance paperwork? And Susie wants you to bring her lap top to her." Susan laughed as her eyes filled with tears.

"Of course she does," she sighed through her tears. "I'll call my dad right away."

"I'll see you soon then," Scott said. Susan nodded.

"Susan," he said before she pulled the phone away. "She's going to be fine."

"I know," she said. Susan ended the call and looked up from her seat on the steps as Cosmo made his way down the stairs.

"Mom, my throat hurts," he said. "And my tummy is all itchy again." Susan pulled him onto her lap and cuddled him for a second. She pulled up the top of his Harry Potter pajamas and surveyed the mass of new red chicken pox that covered his belly.

"Well, I guess so," she said as she nuzzled his sweaty neck. "Wanna try an oatmeal bath?" Cosmo nodded miserably.

"Go on up and start your bath water," Susan said. "Don't make it too warm. Mom is going to call Grandpa and then I will be right up." Cosmo let her hug him again and then climbed back up the stairs. Susan dialed her father's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hi, Dad," she said when he answered at the other end of the call. "Um, do you think you can come over to the house for a little while? I have to run up the hospital because Susie…." And Susan began to cry.

And outside, on the quiet street, a school bus was picking children up as moms waited by the curb. A car was parked down the road. Someone inside was watching and waiting.


	4. Pox 2

Susie was curled into a fetal position and sound asleep in the hospital bed when Susan entered her room. Susan checked the IV going into her hand, watched her sleep for a moment and then reached out to tuck the strawberry blonde waves behind the girl's ear. Susie's eyes opened and she squinted in the dim light.

'Hey," Susan said. Susie smiled and stretched a bit under the sheets and then struggled to sit up. Susan pressed her back onto the bed.

"No, don't get up, sweetie," she said. "I just came up to sign all of your admission paperwork and wanted to see you for a minute and make sure you were okay. I'll come back later after Scott comes home." Susie nodded and drifted back to sleep. Susan brushed the hair off of the teenager's face and studied the red rash that was creeping down her neck and now covered her arms.

"I love you, Susie," she whispered to her and then crept out of the quiet room and down the hall to the nurse's station. She was checking over the paperwork and signing everything at the desk when a young resident approached her.

"Dr. Lewis?" she said. "Do you remember me?" Susan looked up from the paperwork and studied the woman for a moment. Dark skin, short, closely cropped hair, bright eyes.

"Oh my god!" Susan's eyes widened. "Beckett? Cynthia, right?" The woman nodded as Susan hugged her.

"I told Dr. Porter, you would," she laughed. "I was probably your most exasperating student!"

"No, you weren't!" Susan laughed. "But, I didn't realize that you matched here!" Susan leaned against the counter and studied the woman before her. Susan had last seen her when she had done a rotation in the ER at County.

"Dr. Porter put me in charge of Susie's case," Cynthia said proudly and then leaned a little closer to whisper with a smile. "She is very VIP around here." Cynthia glanced at the laptop case at Susan's feet.

"Is that her laptop?" she asked. Susan nodded and bent down to pick it up.

"I have strict orders to lock it up in Dr. Porter's office until she feels well enough to work on her paper. We had quite an interesting chat about her take on the case against the British soldiers at the Boston massacre." Dr. Beckett took the laptop from her.

"I had them page me when you arrived so I could say hello," she said. "But, I have to get back to doing rounds with my interns. Quite frankly, I don't know how you tolerated me at County," Susan laughed as the compact little black resident shook her head and smiled as she carried the laptop down the hall. She sighed with relief.

Susan was feeling much more relieved when she returned to the duplex. The television was on when she opened the front door and her dad was sitting in the middle of the couch. Cosmo was stretched out on one side of him with his head in his lap and Casey was curled up on the other with her head on the other knee. They were both covered with sheets and sound asleep. Henry looked up at her and smiled.

"How's my granddaughter doing?" he asked. Susan nodded.

"Her fever is down," she said. "You could probably go see for yourself this afternoon if you wanted to." Henry nodded.

"I just might do that," he said. "Unless you need me here?" Susan tucked a sofa pillow under Casey's head as her dad eased himself off the couch. He did the same with Cosmo.

"We'll be okay," she assured him. "Do you want some lunch before you go?" Henry shook his head.

'I am meeting some friends for lunch," he said.

"You didn't tell me that!" she said as she followed him to the door.

"Honey," he said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "When your daughter calls you in the morning like you did, you forget about everything."

"Thanks Dad," she said affectionately. Henry kissed her again and then stood on the front porch for a moment as he surveyed the morning sun.

"It's going to be a beautiful day!" he said. Susan sighed and watched him leave from the front door. As his car pulled out of the driveway, Abby's pulled in next door. Susan left the door open and waited for her as she carried two huge coffee cups to the steps.

"I thought you could use this," her friend said as she handed one up to her.

"Thank you!" Susan took a cup from her. "How did it go last night?" Abby sighed heavily and dropped onto the rattan couch at the end of the porch.

"Busy," she said. "but not too crazy. How is Susie?"

"Sleeping when I left her a little while ago," Susan said as she sat at the other end of the couch.

"And the other two?" Susan shrugged.

"Snoozing on the couch at the moment." She lifted her cup in tribute. "Kind of the calm before the storm probably. The itchies will probably be out in full force today." Abby laughed.

"Well, I got an alert email from the school this morning," Abby said as she slipped her shoes up and tucked her legs up in front of her. "Apparently there is a chicken pox epidemic going on there right now. That's probably where all this came from." Susan nodded thoughtfully and took a sip from her coffee cup.

"Have you ever thought about leaving County, Abby?" she asked.

"Only every day," Abby chuckled.

"No, I mean seriously," Susan asked.

"Oh, here it comes," Abby sighed heavily and folded her arms across her chest. "I've been waiting for this conversation."

"What are you talking about?" Susan frowned in confusion.

"Well, when you were seeing that gym teacher guy….." Abby explained. "You were thinking about a change then."

"David," Susan interrupted. "And we weren't….seeing….each other. He was just a friend,"

"Uh huh," Abby agreed with a note of sarcasm. She frowned at Susan and shook her head.

"He fell for you," she said. "He fell hard."

"Well, it didn't take him long to find a cute little kindergarten teacher to marry," Susan laughed.

"Now there's Scott," Abby went on. 'And we both know where that's headed."

"We do?" Susan's eyes widened. Abby chuckled and took another drink from her cup.

"I've been expecting the 'what else are we going to do with our lives' talk for a couple of weeks now," she said. "Got any ideas?"

"I don't know," Susan mused. "I was just wondering what it would be like to have regular hours and patients you can grow old with. You know, people that you see more often than the treat and street kind."

"We see patients more than once…..unfortunately," Abby sighed.

"Mark was the one that first called them 'frequent flyers'," Susan chuckled.

"Mark Green," Abby smiled slightly in remembrance. "Do you think he would have ever left County?" Susan shook her head slowly.

"County, maybe," she replied thoughtfully. "Emergency medicine? Never."

"Susan?" They both looked toward the open door where Casey stood, wrapped in a sheet. "I don't feel so good. Where's my dad?"

"Aww…come here, honey," Susan set the cup down on the porch and held out an arm. "Daddy has to work today."

"And I've got to get some sleep before Luka has to go in for his shift," Abby said as she stood up and Casey crawled onto the porch couch with Susan. "I'll check in on you later to see if there's anything you need."

"Thanks, Abby," she said as she cuddled the little girl in her lap and wrapped the sheet more snugly around her. Casey yawned and then nestled into Susan's arms. Susan felt her forehead.

"I think your fever's gone," she said and then studied the top of the little girl's head. "But it looks like you've popped a few more chicken pox up here. Yep. And this one is named 'Peep'…and there's little Bo over here…" Casey giggled and reached up to hug Susan's neck.

And a camera shutter clicked over and over again in a car across the street.


	5. Beemer

Susan came awake with a start when his pager went off on the table next to the bed. She looked at her clock. It was three a.m. Scott rubbed his eyes and picked the pager up to read the message. He reached over to jostle her.

"I'm awake," she said as she sat up in the midst of the bed clothes. "Is it Susie?"

"She's having some breathing issues and wants you to come," he said softly. Susan nodded as her heart began to pound. Breathing issues. She stood up and rifled through her drawers for a tee shirt and slacks. Scott sat up on the side of the bed and used his cell phone to call the hospital while she dressed. He was waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom. He handed her his keys.

"Take my car," he said. "It has a staff parking permit." She nodded as she took the keys from him and then leaned into his arms.

"She's okay, Susan," he whispered. "I have my best resident on her case. They're doing everything right with her." Susan nodded and lifted her face to kiss him.

"Call my dad in a couple of hours," she said quietly. "He'll stay with Cosmo and Casey until I get home." Scott nodded and hugged her again. Susan kissed him again quickly and then hurried down the steps and out the door to the porch.

The streets were quiet and the night lights bright as she made her way into the city toward Northwestern Medical Center. Her thoughts were spinning in her head.

Breathing issues.

Susie.

What would her life have been like without Susie? They had been a warm, cuddly twosome when she was an infant. Dealing with night feedings, daycare, Chloe and working in the ER had been difficult. But not as difficult as making the decision to keep Susie with her after all when Chloe deserted them and then handing her back to her mother after the court made the decision that she must. Following them to Arizona to make sure they would be okay. Going crazy looking for her in New York after that terrifying phone call when she was six. Bringing her home again after Joe's death when she was twelve. She had brought such life into their home. So much exasperation and….fun. Chuck had adored her. Cosmo worshipped her. Susan needed her.

Good lord she needed her.

She made her way into the staff parking garage with no problem and found her way to Susie's floor and her room just as easily. She had nodded to the nurses at the desk and pushed the door open carefully.

Susie was sitting up in her bed with a mask over her mouth and nose. An intern was adjusting the nozzle for her breathing treatment at the board on the wall behind her bed.

"See," the young doctor said with a smile. "I told you she would be here soon." Susie nodded as Susan made her way to the bed.

"That treatment should take about another twenty minutes," the intern said to Susan. Susan nodded and turned back to Susie as the intern left. Two big tears dripped out of the girl's eyes and rolled down her cheeks on either side of the mask. Cheeks that were spotted with chicken pox.

"Scootch over," Susan ordered and Susie slid over on her bed. Susan climbed up beside her and slipped an arm behind her shoulders. Mindful of the iv tubing and the hose from the nebulizer on the wall, she held the girl close and they settled back on the raised bed.

"Do you know what I was thinking about on the way here?" Susan asked as she cuddled her niece and sighed. Susie shook her head.

"Do you remember that guy that I dated when we were living in Phoenix?" she asked. "The one with that battered pickup truck that had a gun rack in the back window and who would take you for rides on his horse? I think you were three. Do you still remember that?" Susie nodded her head and reached up to adjust the mask.

"Well," Susan sighed and kissed the top of her head. "All I could think about when I was driving Scott's Beemer here was how much I have come up in the world." Susie laughed quietly and looked at Susan with a huge smile.

"That is one sweet driving car," Susan said. Susie nodded and sighed.

"You're going to be okay, sweetheart," Susan whispered as she kissed the top of her head again and hugged her closer. "I promise." Susie nodded and they sat contentedly in the quiet together listening to the hiss from the nebulizer.

It was eight o'clock when Susan stood by as students made their rounds through Susie's hospital room. Good lord but they all looked so young. Susan felt positively ancient as she stood back and listened. The consensus was that Susie was doing much better after several rounds of breathing treatments. And she was still getting antibiotics to ward off a bacterial infection. They left the room just as breakfast arrived.

"You can go back home, Aunt Susan," Susie said as she surveyed the hot cereal and fruit plate she had ordered. "I'll be okay now."

"Are you sure?" Susan asked as she picked a chunk of melon off the tray and popped it in her mouth. Susie grinned and nodded.

"I don't think Grandpa needs to spend another day with the chicken poops," she said. Susan chuckled and kissed her cheek. They had shared quite a laugh over Cameron's revelation to Cosmo about chicken pox.

"Love you, sweetie," Susan said. "I'll come back for a visit tonight." Susie nodded and yawned as Susan left. She waited for an elevator door to open and was about to step on when Abby stepped off another one.

"Susan!" Abby said as she stopped her.

"Abby…" Susan smiled as she hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"Luka talked to Scott this morning," she said as they moved away from the elevator doors. "I decided to come by before going in for my shift. How is Susie?"

"She's fine now," Susan assured her. "It's varicella pneumonia for sure. We are so lucky Scott suspected something when he did."

"Can I see her?" Abby asked. Susan nodded.

"She's eating breakfast," she said. "I'm going to try to catch Scott before he calls my dad."

"You're too late," Abby laughed. "Henry arrived with jelly doughnuts just as I was leaving."

"Oh swell," Susan sighed and rolled her eyes. "He'll jack them up on sugar and then leave me with them all day."

"If you need anything, just call me," Abby grinned. "I'm going to visit with Susie for a minute before I leave." Susan nodded and waved as she stepped into the elevator.

She pulled out her cell phone as she stepped outside the hospital doors and called him.

"I am right behind you," he said when he answered. Susan turned around and he was standing behind the glass windows of the lobby watching her. "Join me for breakfast?" She grinned and pushed her way back into through the lobby's rotating door.

A camera's shutter clicked repeatedly as they embraced for a long moment and then, arm in arm, passed the large glass windows of the medical center's street level lobby together.


	6. Normal

Three days later, Cosmo and Casey were sitting on the front steps when she pulled the car into the driveway. The sun had made the spring day unseasonably warm so there they sat, barefoot and in their pajamas, covered with pink dots of calamine lotion. And looking very, very suspicious. Susan eyed them a bit nervously as she got out of the car. They were feeling much better and managed to maneuver themselves into more than one illicit escapade in the last few days.

"Hi, Mom!" Cosmo called out.

"Hi, Mom!" Casey echoed. Cosmo glared at her and then they collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"Just what are you two chicken poops up to?" Susan asked as she lifted a heavy grocery bag from the back seat of the car. They giggled again and Susan could see that they were struggling to hold on to the dog behind them. Fudge's hind end was pulling and his tail was wagging.

"Nothing," Casey said innocently.

"Nothing," Cosmo shook his head. Fudge's head broke free from their grasp and he bounded down the steps to her side, his nose and nails painted with pink Calamine lotion. Cosmo and Casey made a mad dash to catch the dog and he led them on a merry chase around the front yard.

"Fudge!" Susan called sharply and he came to a halt at her side. He looked up at her with his tongue dragging and panting. He took a swipe at the dried pink lotion on his snout with a paw. Susan groaned and Cosmo grabbed the dog's collar.

"Go wipe that stuff off his nose," Susan ordered. Cosmo giggled and dragged the dog up the steps with Casey close behind him.

"And get some socks or slippers on your feet right this minute," she called after them.

"Okay…" Casey called back as the door shut behind her. Susan rolled her eyes and carried the heavy bag up the steps. She stopped as Luka's car pulled into the driveway. He held up a hand in a wave and she waited as he unbuckled Declan from his car seat.

"How is Susie?" he asked as he carried the baby and his diaper bag onto the porch.

"Okay," Susan said as she knocked on her front door. "They might let her come home tomorrow."

"That's great," Luka said as he unlocked his front door.

"Oh, nice job on the planter you sent her, by the way," Susan said as she knocked on her door again. "It has to be the biggest, ugliest porcelain chicken I have ever seen." Luka laughed.

"Only the best for our kid!" he winked as he opened his door.

"And you are so getting it back for Christmas," she finished wryly. Luka laughed and jiggled the baby in his arms. He went inside and she stared at her own front door in exasperation. She knocked again.

"Dad?" she called. She set the groceries down and opened her purse to search for her keys. She looked back as Scott's car pulled in behind hers. He waved and got out with his keys in his hand.

"Need some help?" he laughed and she nodded.

"I have no idea where those two have gone and I am guessing that my dad is in the bathroom or something," she said as he handed her the keys and took her bag. "They had the poor dog covered in calamine lotion."

"They're feeling better then," he said as she pushed the door open.

"And ready to go back to school on Monday," she added brightly. Scott laughed and set the groceries on the big dining table. He took her hand and tugged her back out toward the porch. Susan stopped at the door and made sure it was unlocked before she closed it behind them. He dropped onto the cushioned rattan couch and pulled her beside him. She sighed and snuggled against him.

"I thought I would see you at the hospital," she said. "Susie looks great. They might release her tomorrow."

"I know," he said as his fingers played with the hair above her ear. "I gave the okay for that decision." She sat still for a minute and then straightened and pulled back to look at him.

"Is everything all right?" she asked. Scott nodded and then pulled her back into the crook of his arm.

"I just left my lawyer's office," he said.

"Your lawyer? Why?" Susan frowned a little.

"Well, after the scene with you at the dance studio I thought I'd better put a stop to it happening again," he sighed. "I've decided that I want to change the custody agreement."

"Oh, Scott," she said quietly.

"They're suing me for full custody." Susan's eyes widened and she reached for his hand.

"Can they really do that?" she asked as she threaded her fingers in his.

"No," he said. "They have no grounds but my lawyer said they can keep it tied up in court for a good long while." He sighed heavily.

"And he said it doesn't bode well for me in the court's eyes that I have been staying here with Casey." Susan gasped.

"Did you explain the situation? The two of them with chicken pox and two work schedules? That I am just a friend?" Scott nodded. He rested his chin on the top of her head and his fingers tightened in hers.

"I think that might be the problem," he sighed softly. He straightened a bit against the cushioned couch.

"I have to pick Molly up from school," he said. "I promised her that I would bring her here for dinner one night. She misses Casey."

"I thought you might want to do that tonight," Susan said. "It's such a nice day so I picked up some chicken for the grill. How are you at barbecuing?"

"A master…." he declared warily.

"Of course…." she laughed as she lifted her face for a kiss. "I'll have Luka cook."

"Why don't you take the two chicken poops with you to pick her up?" she murmured against his lips. "They could probably use a change of scenery." Scott chuckled.

"And you could use some more time away from them?" he asked.

"That too…" she smiled. He laughed and kissed her once more before pulling himself up from the couch. He opened the door.

"Casey! Cosmo! Wanna ride with me to pick up your sister?" he called.

"Yeah! Can we?" He grimaced as there was a pounding down the stairs and they came to a halt at the door.

"Not without something on your feet," he ordered. "Shoes. Now." Casey saluted him and danced off as Cosmo raced away and then came back to salute. Then he was off in search of something to wear.

"Oh wow," he said as he looked at her aghast. "I guess they really are feeling better."

"Have fun," Susan said with a singsong smile and eased her way past him in the doorway. "I'll be waiting." Scott shook his head at her and then rolled his eyes as Casey and Cosmo barged their way past her and then him, down the steps and raced out to the car.

"Can we stop and get some ice cream?" Casey asked.

"I want some ice cream too!" Cosmo cried happily.

"Do NOT do that," Susan huffed from the door. "You'll spoil their appetite for dinner!"

"I know," he nodded as he followed them and unlocked the car doors. They were chattering nonstop as they climbed into the car. He waved as they buckled their seat belts and he pulled out of the driveway. But they weren't gone very long. She was in the kitchen when she heard the front door open and the television go on again. Scott appeared at the kitchen door and braced himself on the door frame.

"Hi!" Susan said as she looked up as she slipped a pan of foil wrapped potatoes into the oven. "Where's Molly?"

"Grandma picked her up from school early," Scott said tersely. Susan stopped and looked at him. He shrugged.

"I called and she said something about needing to look for tights for a dance recital costume."

"But she was okay, right?" she asked as she closed the oven door and turned it on. He nodded. Their eyes met and he shook his head as he let out a deep breath. Susan moved to stand in front of him and put her hands flat on his chest.

"So here's what you do," she said decisively. "We'll have dinner with Abby and Luka and then you pick up Molly and take Casey home." Scott started to protest and Susan held up her finger in warning.

"All of her pox are crusted over. She's ready to go back to school, or will be after a restful weekend in her own bed," Susan said. "Then on Monday morning, you call your lawyer and have him draft a letter to the grandparents saying that they are to refer to the custody agreement and only the custody agreement for all visitations until this new suit is settled."

"And what are you going to do about Cosmo this weekend?" he said. "You have to work and Susie isn't well enough to take care of him even if she is coming home from the hospital."

"Abby is off and will probably be home," Susan shrugged. "There's my Dad and I am sure I can get Brett to be around to help out with Cosmo when I am at work." She studied the frown on his face and then laughed.

"Scott, it will be okay," she said and patted his chest. "We have to get back to normal some time."

"It's not fair to you," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "After everything you have done for me this week."

"That goes both ways," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "If you hadn't been here to catch it, I am not sure what would have happened with Susie." He nodded and hugged her.

"Uh oh…kissy, kissy, kissy," Casey giggled from behind them.

"There they go again," Cosmo sighed heavily. Susan looked at Scott and he rolled his eyes and shook his head. They turned their heads to look at the two pajama clad, calamine covered kiddos standing with their hands on their hips watching them.

"Go away and play somewhere," Scott ordered gruffly. "We're busy." Casey and Cosmo giggled and hopped back onto the couch. Susan frowned as they picked up their game controllers and were soon engrossed in their game again.

"I think they are going to miss one another," she sighed.

"Not as much as I am going to miss this," Scott whispered as he nuzzled her ear. "I kind of like this new normal." Susan grinned and turned back for a kiss as his hug tightened.


	7. Plans

"Thirteen is a pretty special birthday, Scott," Susan said as she snuggled deeper into the pillows of her bed and pressed the phone closer to her ear for their nightly phone call. "What are you going to do to celebrate?"

"Last year we took a couple of friends to the Shedd Aquarium and then to Ed Debevics for dinner," he said. "Think that might fly again?"

"No," Susan chuckled.

"Why not? They had a great time."

"Yeah, when they were twelve," she laughed quietly. "But that's a good idea for Cosmo's birthday so thanks for that."

"You're not helping me," he grumped. She grinned and sighed.

"Would she want a party?" she suggested. "Maybe a sleepover? A mani-pedi session with some friends?" There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Molly doesn't really have a lot of friends," he said finally. "She's kind of choosey about who she hangs with."

"So was Susie," Susan sighed.

"What did you do with her when she turned thirteen?" he asked.

"Well, we were in Iowa then," she said thoughtfully. "She hadn't been with us for even a year. I think we took Heather and went out to dinner and to a movie or something."

"I could try that," he said hopefully.

"What about just doing a daddy slash daughter date night?" Susan suggested. "You could get dressed up and take her someplace fancy…just the two of you? You could leave Casey here."

"I don't know about that," he sighed. "She already thinks you like Casey more than you do her anyway."

"No, she doesn't," Susan chuckled.

"Yes, she does," Scott said quietly. "I think the whole chicken pox thing hit her deeper than we thought. She really wasn't happy being left with her grandparents while, as she puts it, Casey got to have all the fun." Susan frowned sadly and then brightened.

"I think I thought of something," she said slowly.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't tell you just yet," she said. "I have to investigate it first."

"I'm not going to like then, am I?" he groaned softly. Susan laughed.

"I don't know," she chuckled. "But I won't make you suffer alone. I promise."

"I'm already suffering because I'm all alone," he sighed. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," she said softly.  
>"Can we have breakfast in the morning?" he asked hopefully.<p>

"I'm on at eight," she sighed. "I have to get Cosmo to up and over to Abby's early so she can put him on the bus. I don't think it will work." She frowned as there was silence at the other end.

"Scott?"

"Just trying to think of another communicable disease that might get us all in the same house again," he sighed. Susan laughed and she could hear him sigh.

"I love to hear that laugh," he said. She grinned and snuggled deeper into her quilts.

"I have to go to sleep," she yawned.

"I know," he said. "Me too."

"We aren't going to play that stupid good bye game again, are we?" Susan said.

"Of course not," he said with a laugh. "What are we? Teenagers?"

"Okay then," she said. "Good night, Scott."

"Good night, babe," he said. "Have a good day tomorrow." Susan waited and didn't hear the call disconnect.

"Scott?" she said.

"What?" Susan laughed quietly.

"Hang up," she said.

"You first…" Susan laughed again.

"Good night, Scott," she said firmly and then disconnected her phone. Susan smiled and sighed and set the phone on her bedside table and snuggled deeper into her pillows. Molly was turning thirteen and she had the perfect birthday gift for her. Susan smiled as she drifted to sleep.

The next morning Susan and Frank were studying the computer screen at the desk when Abby checked in for her shift.

"This is perfect, Frank," Susan said happily. "I could just kiss you for finding them!" She looked at the screen again and then leaned over and planted a kiss on the desk clerk's cheek and then went to work clicking computer keys. Abby chuckled as Frank looked at Susan in surprise and actually blushed.

"Well, I, uh, hope that your, uh, intended will be as happy as you are," he sputtered and walked away. Abby circled the desk to look at the computer.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Molly's birthday present," Susan grinned triumphantly. Abby studied the screen and then looked at Susan.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Susan nodded.

"It's perfect," she said.

"Well, I'm with Frank on this one," Abby shook her head. "I hope Scott feels the same way."

"Oh," Susan chuckled. "He'll endure it because he loves her." Abby studied Susan's face and smiled.

"Does this mean we're having a Duplex birthday party?" she asked.

"A week from Saturday," Susan nodded and then glanced at her. "I should probably order a cake, huh?

"Maybe we should have Luka order the cake," Abby suggested with a nod. "He'll most likely be eating most of it anyway." Susan laughed and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket.

"Scott's credit card number," she shrugged.

"You mean you are making…him…pay for that torture?" Abby gasped. Susan laughed again.

On Saturday Scott and Susan were sitting in Chuny's car on the street near the dance studio.

"Wanna tell me why we needed to borrow a nurse's car again?" Scott asked as he shifted himself uncomfortably in the Chevy's driver's seat.

"Because the girls know my car and they know Abby's car and Luka's car," Susan said impatiently. "We don't want them to see us here. And we wouldn't be doing this if Molly didn't have all of her friends listed as Harry Potter characters in her cell phone." Scott grimaced.

"You're still mad because she has your number listed as Professor Snape, aren't you?" she snorted as she watched the dance studio doors. "Oh wait...here they come." She slid down in her seat as far as she could go and still see over the dash board. Rachel was the first to leave the studio with Molly and Casey holding her hands. They wove their way past other dancers entering and headed in the other direction. Susan nudged him as Scott watched wistfully as they walked away.

"There she is," Susan nodded toward another girl coming from the dance studio door with her mother.

"Are you sure?" Scott asked. Susan nodded.

"Yes. That's Chelsea with her," she said as she watched the woman and the girl pass by the car.

"I feel like a stalker," he sighed wearily and opened his door.

"Just tell her that you didn't know how else to contact her without spoiling the surprise for Molly," Susan laughed and pushed him out the car door.

"Women are so much better at this subterfuge thing," he muttered.

She watched out the back car window as Scott followed the woman to her car. She saw him introduce himself and the woman smiled and nodded. She opened her car door and stood inside of it listening to him as Chelsea buckled herself into the back seat. Susan smiled and sighed as she turned back to watch the dancers going in and out of the dance studio. She looked up as the car door opened and he slid behind the steering wheel.

"Score!" he grinned as he handed her a business card with a phone number on the back. Susan took it from him and leaned to kiss his cheek.

"My hero," she said. Scott was grinning as he turned the keys on and pulled the car back into traffic.

"This was a brilliant idea," he said as he reached for Susan's hand. "It's going to be such a special night for her."

"For you too?" Susan asked. She laughed as he scowled warily.

"It's not my idea of an ideal date but as long as you are there…." He kissed her hand.

"Oh such a romantic," she sighed and pulled her hand away. "Now let's get this car back to Chuny at the hospital so you can take me out to lunch." Scott nodded and turned the car at the corner toward County. He parked the small car while Susan took the keys back into the ER. He was waiting for her in his own car when she came out again.

"Where to?" he asked.

"It has to be quick and close because we only have an hour and a half before we have to pick Cosmo up and take him to his football class," she said as she glanced at her watch.

"What are you hungry for?" he asked. She shrugged and then looked at him slyly. Scott studied her for a second and then shook his head.

"Your house is loaded with people and mine is too far out," he admonished.

"Aw…" she sighed in disappointment. Scott suddenly grinned and put the car into gear.

"What are you doing?" Susan asked.

"Never mind," he said. She glanced from him to the street and then her eyes widened as he pulled the car into the entry area of a nearby hotel. He looked into the lobby.

"Cheap," he said with an approving nod. "And it's only slightly cheesy."

"No," she shook her head in realization of what he was planning.

"Come on," he said as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened his door. She watched in disbelief as he circled the front of the car and handed his keys to the attendant. He said something and the man nodded. Scott was grinning as he opened her door.

"What did you say to him?" she asked in disbelief.

"I told him to keep it close because we were just checking in," Scott shrugged. "As far as anyone knows we have an appointment in an hour. Now, come on. You're wasting time." Susan's mouth dropped open and then she blushed as he insistently tugged her from the car.

She followed him into the hotel lobby and he went to the desk and was grinning happily several minutes later as he held up a key card.

"Told them we were just going to check out the room and will bring our luggage in later," he said softly. Susan didn't start giggling until they were in the elevator and he had pushed the buttons to their floor.

"I can't believe we are doing this," she said. Scott's grin widened and he pulled her close for a kiss. He stopped when the elevator did and backed her into a corner as a maid pushed a housekeeping cart through the opened doors and into the confined space. He turned around and exchanged smiles with the little Hispanic woman. He pressed his back against Susan and she slipped a hand covertly into his jeans pocket. Scott grinned and admonished her with a nudge of his elbow. He smiled brightly at the housekeeper and then sighed as the elevator door opened on their floor. They eased their way past the cart and he grabbed her hand as they hurried through the empty hall looking from one door number to the next. He struggled with the key card but finally pushed the door open and they almost fell over each other into the room.

Susan laughed as she made her way to the huge bed and sat down while he crossed the room to close the blinds and flipped on the air conditioning. He turned around as he pulled the polo shirt he wore over his head. She started to laugh nervously as she looked around her and he frowned as he moved to stand in front of her.

"You're taking too long, babe," he said and reached for her. Susan chuckled happily and pulled him closer.

She was still smiling an hour and a half later when they stood side by side on the edge of the YMCA field with other parents watching as Cosmo and ten other little boys warmed up in their football gear. The sun was shining and there was a slight warm breeze. It was a beautiful afternoon.

"Definitely a first," she nodded happily.

"And a second and I am thinking quite possibly a third in the shower," he laughed softly as he leaned closer. Susan's eye lids dropped as she shook her head slowly. She glanced toward him and actually blushed as their eyes met.

"Kind or proud of yourself, aren't you?" she frowned in consternation.

"Oh yeah," Scott grinned and kissed her quickly and wrapped an arm around her waist. Susan's frown deepened slightly as a car pulled in the lot across the field from them. A little girl hopped out of an open door and ran toward them.

"What's Casey doing here?" she asked. "I thought her grandparents didn't approve of this." Scott turned and knelt down as Casey came close enough for a quick hug.

"Hi, Daddy," she said breathlessly. "Grandma took Molly shopping for her birthday party and Grandpa said we could come here while they were gone. But I can't tell Grandma." She went to the nearby pile of extra equipment and pulled out a pair of shoulder pads and a jersey and brought them back to Susan. Susan helped her into the equipment and shirt. The little girl grinned as she grabbed an extra helmet and joined her class on the field.

"Did she say….birthday party?" Susan asked softly as they watched her join the warm ups. He nodded slowly as he watched his father in law get back into his car across the field to watch the practice.

"I wonder what that's all about," she said as she followed his gaze and then leaned back against the hood of their own car.

"Kind of sad that he feels like he has to stay over there and not talk to us," she said. Scott nodded wordlessly.

"Oh crap," Susan groaned loudly as Cosmo threw a perfect spiraling football across the field to his coach. Other parents watching looked at her and she smiled brightly.

"And I was hoping that he would be more inclined to playing the oboe," she shrugged. The other parents laughed and she rolled her eyes as she glanced at Scott. He was frowning as he watched Cosmo and Casey thoughtfully. She nudged him with an elbow. He shook his head and then looked at her and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her again. Susan grinned and nestled closer as he kissed her cheek.

A camera shutter clicked.


	8. Thirteen

"And this one is from Susan and I," Scott said as he handed the last wrapped package to his daughter and grinned at Susan. Molly carefully untied the ribbon from the little box and opened the top. She frowned a little as she looked inside. Chelsea lifted her head and peeked inside the box.

"They're tickets to Swan Lake, Molly," she said excitedly. "And I get to go too!"

"Swan Lake," Molly swallowed. "You mean a real ballet?

"As real as they come, honey," Scott assured her. "Susan found the tickets." Molly dropped the box onto the table. Tears began to well up in her eyes

"I'm not going to go," she said hotly. "I'm not going and you can't make me!" She turned and raced up the staircase as the rest of them stood in stunned surprise.

"What just happened?" Susie asked as she turned to look at Scott. He shrugged in dismay.

"Mommy always said she was going to take us," Casey said sadly, as she pressed against her father, "…..when we were old enough." Susan looked at Scott and shook her head.

"Oh crud," she said. "I never thought about that."

"You didn't know, Susan," Scott said as he rubbed Casey's back sympathetically with one hand and reached over to squeeze Susan's with the other. "I'll go talk to her."

"No, I will," Susan said. "It was my big, bright idea in the first place."

"Does this mean we can't have cake?" Cosmo asked as he studied the two layer light blue frosted confection with the sugary swan on top. He reached out to touch one of the candy ducklings that marched around the edge of the bottom layer. "I really wanted some cake."

"We'll have cake Cosmo," Susie sighed. "Just not right now. "

"Anyone up for a football game while we wait?" Brett asked. Cosmo and Casey brightened and nodded. Chelsea cast a worried glance up the stairs and then shrugged. Susie lifted Lauren in her arms and she followed Brett and the other three through the kitchen to the back yard.

Susan sighed heavily and stood up. She kissed Scott and then made her way through the gift wrappings on the floor and up the stairs. Scott shook his head as he watched her. He turned back to Luka who was easing Declan away from the cake he was reaching for.

"Teenagers," he sighed as he exchanged glances with Susan's dad. "I am not so sure that I am ready for this." Luka chuckled and lifted Declan off his lap and into the air above his head. The baby crowed and kicked his chubby legs happily.

Susan made her way up the stairs and into the hall. Her bedroom door was still closed and the bathroom was empty. She peeked into Cosmo's bedroom but didn't think that Molly would chance crossing the toy littered floor in there. She took a deep breath and tapped on the door to Susie's room.

"Molly?" Susan peeked around the door into the neat as a pin room. "It's Susan. I am coming in." Susan opened the bedroom door and looked around. It appeared to be empty. She started to leave and then caught a slight movement from the open closet door. She sighed quietly and moved to the door. She slid the curtains with Susie's clothes aside and Molly blinked up at her from the floor.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked. Susan shrugged.

"Well, Susie and I had some good talks on the floor of our closets over the years," Susan said as she knelt down on the floor. "I think it's a girl thing….at least in this house."

"I don't want to talk to anyone," Molly retorted sharply. "Just leave me alone." Susan contemplated that for a moment and then stood up to leave.

"This birthday totally sucked," Molly said from behind the clothes hanging in the closet. "No one ever listens to me. I didn't want a party and I didn't want boys to be there and I don't want to go to a ballet."

"You're right," Susan said. "We should have asked you first. And your dad told me about the surprise party your grandparents had for you last weekend. That was probably wrong too but they meant well." She turned to leave the bedroom.

"My grandma says that I am always going to miss my mom," Molly continued quietly from the back of the closet. Susan turned and slowly sat down on the edge of Susie's bed.

"I'm afraid Grandma is right about that one, honey," Susan said gently. "There are always going to be big things…and little things…where you are going to wish she were there to share them and to help you with. Things like graduating from high school….what to wear on your first date….turning thirteen. It's not fair and I'm sorry." There was silence from the closet. Susan took a deep breath.

"But eventually," she went on, "when you're ready, even though you miss her, doing the things that she loved or remembering things that happened will make her a part of things you wish she were here for." Molly's shoes appeared in the closet door as she straightened her legs and sat still. Susan suppressed a smile and went on.

"Do you know those round plastic containers with deli meat and cheese that you can get at the grocery store? The big ones for parties and things?" she asked. There was a rustle from the closet.

"Yes," Molly replied.

"On the day that Susie was born, my mom brought one to the hospital for Susie's mom to eat," Susan said. "Of all the things to bring to a hospital for someone who had just had a baby, she brought that. It was crazy." Susan chuckled and then smiled.

"But now, whenever I see one in the grocery store, I can't help but remember that day and my mom," she said. "We were so excited about the new baby….." Her voice trailed off and she was lost in thought as she remembered Cookie's excitement and then her refusal to take Chloe and Susie home from the hospital with her.

"Maybe we should go to the ballet," Molly said finally. "I mean, the tickets probably cost a lot of money."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Susan said. "I'm sure that Susie and Brett would like to use them and could probably find some friends to go with them."

"But Chloe is here and she wants to go." The feet in the closet shifted a little.

"Chloe is just excited to be here with you," Susan assured her. "She'll be happy doing whatever you want. She is your Best Friend Forever after all. Right?" Molly sniffed. Susan knew that the girl was fingering with the charm on the necklace that Chelsea had given her.

"My dad doesn't like ballet," she said. "He said he only likes watching …us…dance." Susan chuckled.

"I know," she sighed and then chuckled a little. "You should have seen his face when I suggested this great idea. But he was so willing to suffer it out because he knows that you love it. He wanted to make this birthday special for you. I'm sorry that it sucked." There was a long silence from the closet.

"I like the cake," she said finally. Susan laughed.

"Luka will be so happy to hear that," she said. "He is the one that picked it out." She waited.

"Okay," the girl said finally. "I guess we can go." Susan waited as Molly eased her way out of the closet, straightened the shoes and then stood up.

"Are you sure you're ready to do that?" Susan asked as she studied her. Molly nodded slowly.

"I want to," she said. Susan stood up and reached out to rub the tear stains from the girl's cheeks. She sighed and put her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Okay," she said. "I am going to go downstairs and let everyone know that we are ready for a piece of that gorgeous cake. You can go into the bathroom and wash your face and compose yourself a bit, okay?" Molly nodded and then moved closer to wrap her arms around Susan.

"Thank you," she said as she hugged her. Susan wrapped her arms around the newly minted teenager and held her close. She kissed the top of her head and hugged her again. She rocked them back and forth until Molly was giggling.

"Okay," Susan said as she released her. "I guess I better go down and break the bad news to your dad." Molly grinned.

"He's not going to like it," she sighed happily as she kept an arm around Susan's waist as they moved to the door.

"Yeah, well, maybe I'll buy him some candy to tide him over," Susan suggested as she bumped the girl with her hip in the direction of the bathroom. Molly stopped at the bathroom door to look at her.

"Susan," she said and grinned as Susan turned to look at her. "My birthday isn't turning out to be so bad." Susan leaned closer and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad, sweetheart," she said softly. Molly went into the bathroom and Susan headed back down the stairs.

The ballet was beautiful. Susan was surprised that she enjoyed it as much as she did. And Scott kept nudging her to look at the faces of the two girls sitting next to them. They were totally absorbed in the dance and the music and the magic. It still made her smile remembering it.

"What are you thinking about?" Scott asked as he glanced over at her and then back to the road. They had just dropped the girls off at Chelsea's house where Molly was spending the night.

"Nothing really," Susan sighed as she hugged herself. "Just about how much the girls enjoyed the ballet."

"You liked it too," Scott asked. Susan nodded slowly and then turned to him with a confused smile.

"I have never seen anything other than short dances at a recital," she said. "It's really different when dance is meant to tell a story, isn't it?" Scott glanced over at her and rolled his eyes.

"Oh dear," he sighed. "Another convert. Molly will be ecstatic." Susan chuckled and then reached for his free hand.

"That reminds me," she said. "Casey gave me a ticket order form for their dance recital. Abby and Luka want to come too. Is that okay?"

"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. Susan laughed.

"Of course," she said. "That's what we do at the duplex." Scott sighed.

"You are so lucky," he said quietly and squeezed her hand. "I…am lucky." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Susan chuckled and then settled back in her seat again holding his hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she studied the street signs.

"You're kidding, right?" he said again. "We are going to my house. I just sat through a three hour ballet performance. There are some new dance moves I want to try out with you." Susan laughed and he grinned.

She waited by the front steps and studied the clear night sky above as he pulled the car into the garage. He took her hand and they headed up the steps to the front porch together. There was a large yellow envelope leaning against the front door. He picked it up and studied the return address.

"What is it?" she asked as his shoulders sagged. Scott shook his head as he unlocked the front door and held it open for her. Susan frowned as she punched in the security code on the alarm system while he opened the envelope.

"What is it?" she asked again and moved to his side.

"Matt warned me that this might be coming," he said as he read through the papers.

"They have requested a psychological evaluation of me and both girls as soon as possible," he said as he handed the papers to her. "You might be getting one too."

"Me?" Her eyes widened. "Why?" He sighed heavily.

"Because they have identified you as my 'significant other' of the moment," he replied with a note of sarcasm. "I'm sorry." Susan dropped the papers onto the nearby couch and moved closer.

"What are you sorry about?" She lifted his chin slightly with her finger.

"I don't want anything to mess this up," he shrugged. "I don't want them coming between us." Susan's head dipped down and then she straightened.

"I don't see anyone between us," she said.

"They are pretty determined," he replied flatly.

"Scott….," she said softly. He looked up into her eyes and Susan smiled reassuringly. He took a deep breath and drew her close into his arms. They stood still for a long moment and she could feel his heart beating quickly. When he had calmed somewhat, she tipped her head back and looked at him.

"Do you think they are including my family in this psych eval? Because I have seen Susie go head to head with a psychologist before and it isn't pretty," she said. Scott laughed and shook his head. He slipped his arm across her shoulders and she reached up for his hand as he tugged her toward the staircase.

"Or maybe I could get some help finding out why Cosmo insists on turning his bedroom floor into a mine field of toys every single day," she went on. "You know this could actually work to our favor." Scott grinned and stopped to kiss her.


	9. Options

Abby was waiting on their usual bench as Susan rounded the corner of the running path in the park. She held up a bottle of water as Susan neared and then stopped in front of the bench. Susan took a long drink and then sat down on the bench with her.

"Tis the season," Abby mused as Susan settled. "What do we have coming up now? Declan's first birthday is next week. The dance recital is in two weeks. Spring break. "

"Mother's day and Susie's seventeenth birthday. Cosmo's eighth birthday," Susan chimed in.

"When does Casey turn ten?" Abby asked.

"Not until September," Susan replied.

"Susie's graduation," Abby continued and stopped abruptly to look at Susan. "Has Heather heard from U of M yet?" Susan shook her head.

"They are starting to get a little worried," she said.

"What are they going to do if she doesn't get in?" Abby asked. Susan shrugged.

"I have no idea," she sighed. "They have been planning this since they were thirteen years old. They want to get a University of Michigan undergrad degree and then go to the University of Chicago med school. Plans, plans, plans. Remember when we were that young?"

"I don't think I was ever that young," Abby chuckled. She eyed Susan curiously.

"So," she started and then stopped. Susan looked at her quizzically.

"So?" she said and then took another drink from her water bottle.

"Are we going to have to clear our schedules for a wedding?" Abby asked abruptly. Susan spurted water as she choked.

"What?" she gasped.

"Just wondering," Abby laughed. Susan grimaced and shook her head.

"We haven't even known each other a year, Abby," she chuckled. "Besides, I am thinking that maybe we need to cool things for a little while."

"Why?" Abby straightened on the bench and turned to look at Susan. "It's not because of that psych eval thing, is it? Because I am sure you passed."

"I didn't have to pass anything, Abby," Susan said wryly. "It's just something Scott's lawyer said to him that has been bugging me." Abby waited and Susan sighed.

"He told Scott the grandparents would never be able to get custody of the girls but they could drag it out for years." Susan frowned as she studied the grass beginning to grow on the ground between her feet.

"I just feel like maybe if Scott and I backed off for a while things would calm down and it would be easier on them."

"You do not seriously that this custody suit is all about you?" Abby chuckled. Her smile faded as Susan looked at her.

"You do not," Abby scoffed. "If you backed off then the good Dr. Porter would be going through this all alone. Would you want that?" Susan frowned and studied her feet.

"You saw what happened at Christmas," Abby continued. "It wasn't right for him or those little girls. He's trying to fix it." Susan was silent. Abby sighed heavily as she studied her friend's face.

"Susan!" Abby scolded as she studied her friend's profile. She shook her head and leaned back against the bench.

"When I was pregnant with Lauren," she said. "Her father flew me out to Iowa City so I could spend a weekend with a friend of mine. He knew that my friend would help me fix the feelings I was having at that time. Do you remember?" Susan smiled thoughtfully and nodded.

"We played an endless game of Scrabble and went through your baby things," she said as she slipped an arm across Susan's shoulders. "You gave me that 'Knocked Up' tee shirt to wear, remember?" Susan laughed and nodded.

"Well, my friend listened to me all weekend long and then, very honestly, told me that I had a tendency to turn around and run of things were going too well," Abby said. "So let me return the favor." She turned to face Susan.

"Don't do it," she studied Susan's face as a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. Susan nodded. Abby frowned a little and hugged Susan.

"Don't let anyone or anything take that away from you," she said. "Hold on to it tight. You, of all people, know what it means to lose someone you care about." She leaned back and shook Susan's shoulders.

"Don't do that to Scott and don't do it to yourself," she scolded. "Do not run away." Abby sighed heavily and glanced around at the beautiful spring day.

"Come on," she said. "Let's skip the second round and go home."

"That sounds good to me," Susan sighed.

"I'll race you," Abby challenged as she stood up.

"Who's the Energizer Bunny now?" Susan laughed as they jogged side by side down the sidewalk.

Scott was sitting on the front steps of the porch with Luka. He looked up as they approached and his face was grim.

"What's the matter?" Susan asked as they approached the house. Scott handed her a letter and Susan stopped to read it.

"This is crazy," she gasped. Abby frowned and her eyes met Luka's.

"The psych evaluations weren't enough," he said quietly. "Now they want him to submit to weekly drug tests." Abby's mouth dropped open and then she frowned.

"Can they really do that?" she asked. "I mean what about that….probable cause thing you always hear about on television?" Susan folded the letter up and handed it back to Scott.

"They are saying that as head of his department he has access to drugs at the hospital," she said quietly as her eyes never left his. "They have to know that you would never do that."

"They do. I made an appointment with Matt," he said. "I just dropped the girls off at their dance class. Do you think you could pick them up for me?"

"No," Abby interrupted firmly. "Susan needs to go to your lawyer with you. I'll pick the girls up." She glanced at Luka and he nodded.

"Do I have time to change?" Susan asked. Scott nodded. She kissed him quickly and then hurried up the stairs and into the duplex.

"This is so crazy," Abby sighed angrily as she shook her head.

"We all know doctors who have done it, Abby," Luka said quietly and she nodded.

"It's still crazy," she muttered.

Susan repeated the sentiment after they were seated at table across from Scott's lawyer.

"It's almost like they are on a personal vendetta," she said. The gray haired man with a neatly trimmed beard across the table looked over his glasses at her. He folded the paper he was reading and then slipped it into the file folder in front of him.

"Every custody fight is a personal vendetta," Matt said.

"But this isn't really a custody fight, is it?" she asked. "They can't possibly take the girls away from their Dad, can they?" Scott fiddled with the cup of pens on the table in front of him.

"Tell me about the situation with your sister," Matt said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Chloe?" Susan replied. "She's still in San Diego, as far as we know."

"As far as you know?" His eye brows rose and he waited.

"Well, yeah," she said. "We haven't actually heard anything from her since Christmas eve."

"And why is that?" Susan's eyes shifted from the lawyer in front of her to the man seated next to her, who was still fiddling with the cup full of pens, careful not to meet her gaze. Susan took a deep breath and turned back to Matt.

"My sister is a drug addict and alcoholic who has a tendency to flit in and out of our lives," she said flatly. "At the moment she happens to be….out."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"About four years ago," Susan said. "She came to see me in Iowa."

"And last summer?" Susan shifted in her seat, still confused.

"Susie went to San Diego to visit her for a couple of weeks."

"So you sent a sixteen year old you have guardianship over, across the country to stay with a known addict?" Matt leaned forward in his chair and was looking over his glasses at her again.

"No," Susan laughed nervously. "I sent my niece to San Diego to spend some time with her mother." She looked again at Scott and her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my god," she said. "This…is…all about me." She shifted in her chair and reached for the purse on the floor beside her.

"I think we can put a stop to this right…." Scott reached out and took her hand firmly in his.

"Honey, if I were dating Mother Theresa they would find something to banter about," he said. "This one just hit below the belt."

"Scott," she said. "You know that I would never do anything so irresponsible with Susie." She turned back to Matt.

"She was able to drive," she continued plaintively. "She makes good decisions for herself and for everyone around her. We had no idea that Chloe might be spinning out of control again. Susie didn't even tell me that she suspected anything until Christmas." Wordlessly, Scott slipped from his chair to her side. He wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay," he murmured as he held her.

"I don't want you to lose your girls," she sighed sadly as she clung to him. "Not because of me."

"I'm not going to," he said. "We just have to know what we are dealing with here."

"How long have you known about this?" she asked as she eased herself away from him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it would go this far," he said as he shook his head. "I thought it would end with the psychologist." She nodded and he moved back into his chair and reached for her hand. He threaded his fingers in hers and then turned back to Matt.

"So what do we do now?" he asked his lawyer. "Do I do the drug screens or not?" Matt took a deep breath and removed his glasses.

They were silent in the car on the way back to the house. Scott pulled the car into her driveway and turned off the engine.

"Maybe we should stop seeing each other for a while," she said quietly.

"No," he said firmly. "That is not an option."

"Scott….." she sighed and shook her head as her eyes closed.

"That is not an option," he said again. "If there were something wrong between the two of us then I would say we should take a break but there's not." She watched as he got out of the car and slammed the door angrily. He circled the front an opened her door for her. He was frowning as she got her bag from the floor and climbed out of the car. Susan moved to stand between him and the door and reached up to touch his cheek. His eyes met hers and he wrapped his arms around her again and they stood together for a long moment.

"Just for a little while," she murmured. "Until this custody thing is worked out." Scott's arms tightened around her and he held her close.

"You guys have got to stop hugging and get in here fast!" Cosmo called from the front porch. Susan glanced toward the house and then lifted her head.

"What's the matter?" she called as they separated and moved toward the house.

"It's a mess and I didn't do any of it!" the little boy cried and disappeared back inside the front door.

It was bedlam inside the front door. There were boxes and plastic wrappings all over the living room.

"Our costumes came!" Casey cried excitedly as she met them at the door with a glittery golden tutu over her black dance leotard. She threw her arms around Scott and then danced off to adjust a sparkling gold headpiece on Lauren's head. Molly came clacking down the stairs frowning as she tried to adjust the shoulder of a turquoise leotard. The ribbons of her turquoise toe shoes straggled behind her on the stairs.

"You look beautiful!" Susan exclaimed breathlessly. "That color is definitely on your color wheel." The girl smiled and then frowned again as she turned her back to Susan.

"It's not fitting right," she said. Susan studied the straps of the costume and then twisted one so it lay flat on Molly's shoulder.

"There you go," she said as she smoothed the satiny fabric. Molly spun around so the long filmy skirt of her tutu floated around her. She grinned back at Susan and then sat on the bottom stair landing to wrap the ribbons of her new toe shoes around her ankles. Scott sat down next to her to watch her. Casey had slipped a red tutu around Lauren, who was giggling as she struggled to hold it up over her jeans while she tiptoed around the couch.

Cosmo sat with his legs drawn up protectively in the lounge chair and was watching everything in dismay.

"And they've each got two more costumes," Abby said as she held up a glass of juice in a toast at the kitchen door. Susan grinned and then glanced toward Scott. He looked up at her and winked.

"Not an option," he said quietly as he shook his head.

"I know," she sighed as she dropped onto the couch and caught Lauren onto her lap. The little girl giggled as Susan blew a raspberry under her ponytails on the back of her neck. Casey laughed happily and slid next to her, careful of the tutu she wore. She lifted her happy, freckled face for a kiss and Susan obliged.


	10. One

Cosmo was stretched on the couch aimlessly tossing an action figure in his hands while watching television when Scott pushed open the front door.

"Hey, buddy," Scott said as he carried a grocery bag to the table. Cosmo waved and didn't tear his eyes away from the big screen.

"Did you get them there okay?" Susan asked as she came through the kitchen door.

"Every sequined, beribboned, glittery bit," Scott chuckled as he kissed her. "This will be the dress rehearsal weekend to end all dress rehearsal weekends if I know their Grandmother ."

"But they'd rather be here?" Susan asked as she sorted through the items in the grocery bag.

"They'd rather be here," Scott assured her.

"Did you get the string?" she asked with a frown. Scott pulled a ball of cotton string from his pocket.

"I got the string," he said as he handed it to her. "I had to stop at the building store for it." Susan laughed as she took the plastic wrapped ball and patted his chest.

"Thank you for that," she said and kissed him again. Scott pulled her closer and glanced back toward Cosmo before deepening the kiss. Susan giggled and then pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she laughed. "I've got a pot boiling on the stove."

"I've got a…pot…boiling too," he groused playfully. Susan laughed again and went back to the kitchen.

"What is it you are doing again?" Scott asked as he leaned against the back of the couch and tried to snatch the toy from Cosmo's hand. The little boy frowned and then grinned as it became a game between them.

"Chuny and her mother are coming over to help us make tamales for Declan's birthday party tomorrow," Susan said from the kitchen.

"How is it that an Irish named Croatian Polish American baby is having a Mexican feast for his first birthday party?" he asked as Cosmo moved to his knees and grabbed for the superhero doll Scott held over his head. Susan laughed from the kitchen.

"Only at the Duplex," she said brightly. Scott wrapped an arm around Cosmo's waist and lifted him over the back of the couch and set him on his feet in front of him. He handed the toy to the little boy and then reached for the remote to turn off the television.

"Hey, Mom," Scott called. "We're going to go do some guy stuff for a while." Cosmo's eyes widened as he looked up at Scott. Susan peeked around the kitchen door.

"Guy stuff?" she asked. Scott nodded. A smile crept across the little boy's face and he turned around to face Susan.

"Like what?" she asked as she moved to the kitchen door and leaned against the door jamb.

"Don't know yet," Scott said as he put his hands on Cosmo's shoulders.

"How long are you going to be gone?" she asked.

"Don't know that either," Scott said. "There's just been too much dancing….and flowers….and cooking stuff going on. We need to do some guy stuff." Cosmo nodded slowly, the look on his freckled face hopeful.

"Well, okay…."Susan drawled slowly.

"Sweet!" Cosmo cried as he tossed his toy onto the couch and headed toward the door.

"Wait a minute," Susan said sharply. The little boy stopped and then dragged his feet back to her. Susan wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Have a good time," she said. "And behave yourself!"

"I will," Cosmo said happily and tugged at Scott's hand. "Come on." Scott handed him the car keys and Cosmo raced for the door.

"Back seat and buckle your seat belt!" his mother called after him.

"I will!" the little boy cried and Susan grimaced as the front door slammed behind him.

"You do know that he is too young for Hooters, right?" Her brows wrinkled as she studied the man in front of her. Scott grimaced in disappointment.

"But they have the best burgers in the city," he groaned playfully.

"And you would know this….how?" she asked as she followed him to the front door. Scott stopped at the door and frowned thoughtfully.

"Someone at the hospital told me?" he said finally. "A patient, I think." Susan frowned and then chuckled as he grinned and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Thank you for taking him," she said quietly as she traced a finger along his jaw and tapped his lips. Scott grinned and kissed the tip of her finger.

"No problem," he said. "I like the little kid." He winked at her as she moved to watch him cross the front porch and jump down the steps toward his car. Cosmo was already buckled into the back seat and grinned and waved as Scott slid behind the steering wheel of his car and then backed it out into the street. Susan watched as his car left and another car pulled into the drive next door. She waved at Chuny and then knocked on the other front door of the duplex.

"Abby!" she called. "They're here!" Susan hurried down the steps of the porch to help Chuny and her mother carry several bags and large pots from the car to the house.

Several hours later Susan, Abby, Chuny and her mother were seated around the table in Susan's dining area, laughing over cups of coffee and sandwiches. The warm spicy smell of steaming tamales permeated the house as the women relaxed after a long day of working together. Susan looked up and smiled as the front door opened and Cosmo pushed his way in lugging a wooden box with both hands. His hair had been trimmed and he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, kiddo," she said as her son plunked the box onto the table in front of her. "You got a haircut!" He nodded as she ran her fingers through the neat, silky, fine hair on his forehead. He lifted his chin.

"Smell," he said and she tucked her nose near the offered ear. "We went to the barbershop. I got a real pretend shave!" The gingery, citrusy after shave could barely be discerned amidst the spicy tamales but she grinned and kissed his cheek.

"You used to do that with your dad, remember?" Cosmo grinned and nodded. She blinked a bit and looked up at Scott standing by the couch. He winked at her and grinned. Cosmo nudged the wooden box on the table.

"I made it," he said proudly. Susan surveyed the wooden tool box in amazement as the little boy dug through the open top and pulled out tool after tool, naming each of them.

"An' Cameron has a tree in his back yard an' his dad said that we can build a tree house in it when school is out for summer vacation," he said as he put the tools back into the box. "Him and Scott are going to help us." Cosmo lifted the box off the table and lugged it over to the staircase.

"Where are you going?" Susan asked.

"I have to put my tool box in my closet," he said as he dragged it from step to step with the wood dowel handle. "I can't have it out for Lauren to get into 'cause she doesn't know what everything does. She might put a hole in the wall." Chuny snickered as Abby's mouth dropped open.

"Aren't you hungry?" Susan called after him.

"Nope," he replied. "Scott and me had a hot dog and chips at the builder's store!" Susan turned to look at him and Scott shrugged.

"Best deal in town," he said. "A hot dog, chips and a soda for three bucks." She laughed and stood up to hug him.

"Did you have fun?" she asked quietly as he kissed her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah," he sighed. He lifted his head and sniffed. "Any chance that I can try one of your tamales?" Without a word, Chuny's mother stood up and headed for the kitchen. Scott grinned and settled into Susan's empty chair.

"You took Cameron along on your…adventures?" Abby asked him. "You're pretty brave." Scott laughed.

"We called to see if he could go to the building workshop with us," Scott explained as he caressed one of the arms Susan had wrapped around him. "His dad met us there with him. He's a nice guy. It was fun." He grinned as a plate with two steaming tamales was set in front of him. The women watched him intently as he unfolded the corn husk packet and dipped a fork into the pungent cornmeal masa and meat. His eyes widened as he tasted it and then went back to the plate for more.

"Excellent!' he sighed. Chuny's mother nodded in satisfaction and sat back in her chair to sip her coffee.

"Oh, Susan," Chuny said as she looked up at her. "Abby, guess who came in to the ER on a tour with the new medical students. Remember the paramedic that was in the exam room with us a year ago?"

"You're kidding!" Susan gasped. Chuny shook her head.

"No," she laughed. "He told me that helping Luka and I with that surgery convinced him that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life as just a paramedic."

"Just a paramedic?" Susan chuckled wryly. "Sometimes I don't know what we would do without those people." Scott glanced from one face to the other. He leaned back suddenly in his chair.

"Oh my god," he said. "It was you." The three women looked at him in confusion.

"You were the hostages in the ER." His brow furrowed in concern.

"You didn't know that?" Abby chuckled.

"Susan was on all of the news casts," Chuny laughed.

"I never saw them," Scott said. "There was just a lot of laughing going on at my hospital because everything seems to happen at County." Susan slipped into the chair next to him and Scott reached for her hand.

"Well that's true," she laughed. "Helicopters…."

"Two of them," Chuny added.

"Monkey pox…." Abby said.

"Oh, I got a week on the beach with that one," Susan said brightly.

"Not me….." Abby grimaced and Susan laughed.

"Remember when Carter staged that walk out until Weaver agreed to install a metal detector in the ER?" Chuny spoke up as she nudged Abby.

"After that patient held a gun on Chen…" Abby nodded.

"Aww...Carter," Susan sighed. "And then the night Abby was kidnapped from the ER bay."

"Which totally led to the reason we all managed to stay alive a year ago," Chuny nodded.

"Oh," Abby straightened. "And don't forget the patient that brought the tank after Morris!" The women laughed again and Scott's fingers tightened around Susan's. Susan glanced toward him and then chuckled as she noticed his concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know if I like you working there," he said.

"Well, it's not like stuff happens like that every day," she assured him.

"Just every other day," Chuny snickered as Abby chuckled. Chuny's mother frowned.

"That place is dangerous," Chuny's mother scowled. The three younger women laughed.

"Only a little bit, Mama," Chuny assured her. Susan glanced over at Scott's worried frown and her laugh faded. She lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to it.

"It's okay," she said softly. "It's not really that bad." He nodded and forced a smile.

Scott was still thinking about the conversation with Susan, Chuny and Abby the next day. He sat on the steps of the back porch and watched the crowded backyard as friends and neighbors enjoyed the barbecue slash Mexican feast slash birthday party. The folding tables were crowded. He knew the table inside was full as well as the living room and tables at Abby and Luka's on the other side of the duplex. There kids climbing all over the swing set and running around on the new grass. Most of them belonged to the people from the ER at County. There had been a steady stream of them all afternoon as shifts changed. He looked up as Susan stood behind him and tapped him on the shoulder with a beer bottle. He reached up and took it from her and then slid over on the step so she could sit beside him.

"I thought you were manning the grill?" she said after she took a drink from her bottle.

"I was until Frank got here," he said as he tipped his head toward the grill between the two back steps. Frank was busy flipping burgers for the line of people waiting.

"This is just amazing," Scott shrugged as he gestured to all of the people in the small yard.

"And you thought we had overdone it with three hundred tamales," she laughed.

"Actually I was hoping for some leftovers," he sighed. Susan laughed and nudged his shoulder with hers.

"I have a secret stash in the refrigerator," she whispered. "I promised Molly and Casey I would save them some." He grinned and nudged her back. He took a sip from his beer and gestured to the backyard.

"This is great," he said. "You are all such great friends." Susan nodded.

"Just wait until Susie's graduation party," she laughed as she surveyed the party goers. "There will be high school kids in the mix then." Scott shook his head. There was a rousing cheer from the crowd as Luka appeared on his back porch with Declan on his arm.

"This is like the tenth time they have sung this for him," Scott laughed as they all began to sing 'Happy Birthday.' Declan buried his face against Luka's shoulder as his dad carried him through the tables. Susan was smiling as she watched them. She looked up as Chuny tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh crap," she said as she made out what Chuny was trying to say. She grabbed the beer bottle from him.

"What's the matter?" he asked as she stood up with the bottles in her hand. She looked around frantically for somewhere to ditch them.

"The girls are here," she said. "They're with their Grandpa." Scott's eyes widened and he stood up. He turned around just as Casey flew out the door and into his arms.

"Grandma and Grandpa brought us back early!" she cried. "So we could come to Declan's party for a little while!" Molly made her way out the door holding a brightly decorated gift bag.

"I'm hungry, Daddy," Casey said as she eyed the hamburgers on the grill. "Can I get something to eat?" Scott nodded and Casey hurried down the steps toward the table that held plates and plastic eating utensils. Molly's eyes were wide as she took in all of the people in the backyard.

"Grandma's waiting in the car because we couldn't find a place to park on the street," she said. "I'm going to give this present to Declan." She quickly kissed Scott on the cheek and danced down the steps toward Luka and the grinning baby. Scott looked back as Stephen filled the doorway.

"Malik," Susan hissed and held out the beer bottles. The big man shrugged.

"Don't drink," he said as he headed for a table with a plate full of food. "Thanks though." Susan sighed heavily and then turned toward Stephen with a smile.

"Hello," she said brightly setting the two bottles on the porch. "Can I get you something to eat?" The older man shook his head as his eyes flicked from her red face to the bottles on the porch in front of her and then back to her face.

"Oh no, thank you," he said. "I just wanted to make sure the girls got in here okay. I see that they're fine." Susan and Scott glanced back to the center of the yard where Declan was clutching a sock monkey that Molly had taken from her package for him. Luka held the baby down so he could plant a slobbery kiss on Molly's cheek.

"We have their costumes and suitcase, Scott," Stephen said. "You can run by and pick them up on your way home tonight." Scott nodded and let out a deep sigh as his father in law smiled and left. Susan groaned.

"It's just beer, Susan," Scott chuckled as he slipped an arm around her.

"And I was holding two of them in my hands," she hissed. "They are really going to go after me now." Scott shook his head as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and they looked back in the yard as another chorus of 'Happy Birthday' started. Declan Luka Kovac, cuddled in his father's arms, looked around the yard at all of the people, stuck a finger in his mouth and smiled.


	11. The Recital

Luka settled into the auditorium seat and looked around him. People were milling about but it seemed to be filling up fast.

"So this is where your girls go to school?" he asked. Scott nodded in the seat next to him.

"We came here for Molly's first dance recital and their mother liked it and looked into it," he explained. Luka nodded again.

"And do you want to know what I like best about it?" Scott asked. Luka looked at him and shrugged.

"Do you know how we see all those little girls at the hospital who kind of dress to impress the boys?" Scott went on as he settled his elbows on the arms of his seat and linked his hands together. Luka nodded.

"Starting in second grade," his friend smiled, "they wear the same crappy school uniform every day." Luka's brows dropped into a contemplative frown and he shifted Lauren in his lap. He glanced over at Scott again and Scott nodded slowly. Luka bent his head to kiss the top of his daughter's dark head.

"How are the snacks after programs and things?" he asked.

"Susan says I am not allowed to tell you," Scott replied. Luka's eyebrows rose.

"That good, eh?" he mused. Scott nodded slowly again. He sat up straighter as he saw Susie standing at one of the doors beside the stage. She was searching the auditorium. He nudged Susan and tipped his head toward Susie.

"Uh oh," she sighed and stood up.

"Want me to go?" he asked. She frowned and shook her head.

"It's a dressing room," she said as she made her way past his knees and then Luka's. "Dads aren't allowed."

"Sorry…" he said. Susan sighed.

"No, you're not," she sang softly. Scott shrugged happily and watched her make her way to the door.

"What's going on?" Susan asked Susie as they went back through the door.

"Grandma showed up and is trying to get Molly to wear some stupid necklace," Susie huffed angrily as they moved into the hall. "Molly told her she couldn't and then I told grandma that Molly knows what the rules are. She told me to leave and then Casey started crying and Molly is flipping out." Susan rolled her eyes and they hurried toward one of the classrooms that had been turned into a dressing room for the recital. Susan sighed as she saw Molly in a corner with her hands on her hips above the stiff white tutu she wore arguing with her grandmother. Casey stood nearby with tears streaming down her face leaving streaks of stage makeup on her cheeks. Other mothers were busy dressing their own dancers but were watching the scene. Susan caught the worried eye of Chelsea's mother and rolled her eyes and shook her head. Chelsea was watching Molly and was almost in tears herself.

"I can't wear it!" Molly said sharply as she pushed her grandmother's hands away from her neck again. "We have to look exactly the same!"

"What's the matter?" Susan asked quietly as she stepped over costume boxes to move closer. Rachel glared at her.

"It's none of your concern," she said as she stood a little straighter.

"Yes," Susan said calmly. "I am afraid that it is."

"Grandma wants me to wear Mom's necklace and she won't listen to me," Molly retorted hotly. "I can't wear it! We all have to look the same!" Susan reached for Casey's hand and tugged the softly sobbing little girl between Molly and her grandmother and hugged her.

"Take her over to Chelsea's mother and see if the two of you can fix her makeup," she said as she nudged her toward Susie. Susie nodded and wrapped an arm around Casey's shoulders. Susan watched as they made their way across the room. Chelsea and her mother encircled Casey and Susie. She smiled as they all went to work on Casey's face. She took a deep breath and turned back to Molly.

"Can I see the necklace?" she asked the girl. Molly snatched it from her surprised grandmother's hand and gave it to Susan. Susan studied the tangle of gold chain and ballet shoe charm in her palm. She knelt down and dug through the suitcase that held the girls' makeup and hair things. She found the package of safety pins. She stood up again and took one of the smaller gold pins from the package and dropped the package back into the suitcase. She turned an angry Molly toward her and looped the pin into the link nearest the charm and pinned it to the underside of the sequined edge of her leotard neck.

"When you change into your next costume," she said carefully, "pin this to the band of your tights and no one will see anything, but you will be able to feel your Mom with you the whole time you are on stage." The anger in Molly's brown eyes faded and tears pooled at the edge of her mascaraed lashes.

"Oh, don't you start crying too," Susan chuckled and hugged her for a second. "We worked too hard on that make up!" She pulled a tissue from the box on a nearby table and handed it to Molly.

"Now, Susie will still be here to help you with your costume changes but let Grandma help you finish getting ready right now," she said. Molly started to protest and Susan shook her head.

"There is always room for compromise, Moll," she said firmly. Molly frowned slightly and then nodded. Susan glanced over at Rachel. The older woman was eyeing her with such contempt. Susan flashed a quick smile before crossing the room to check on Casey. She took a deep breath and shared a glance with Chelsea's mother.

"Everything's fine," she said brightly and patted Susie on the back. She bent down and looked into Casey's worried eyes.

"I'll see you after the show," she said. "Dance your heart out, sweetie." She leaned closer to whisper.

"Pretend you love it as much as football," she said. Casey grinned and then nodded. Susan kissed her cheek and glanced back at Molly before leaving the room. She was chatting animatedly as her grandmother smoothed the girl's dark hair back into its tight bun and tipped her chin up to check her make up.

The auditorium was full and the lights went down just as she found their row, eased past Luka and Scott and slipped into her seat beside Abby.

"Is everything okay?" Scott asked quietly. Susan nodded.

"Just a little pre-show jitters," she whispered as he laced his fingers into hers.

"What did I miss?" Abby asked from the other side.

"Nothing," Susan shrugged. The curtains opened and the dance studio director stood at a microphone to the side. There was a beautifully painted softly muted flower garden set behind her. Susan glanced on one side to see Lauren sitting up straight on Luka's lap watching the stage with interest. She smiled. On the other side of Abby, a disgruntled Cosmo was slouched down in his seat next to his grandfather. Susan suppressed a smile and relaxed in her seat. Her thumb caressed Scott's fingers and he glanced over at her. She smiled and snuggled next to his shoulder. All was well with her world.


	12. Birthday

He sat quietly at the end of the long table at Ed Debevic's restaurant and eyed the little Asian boy sitting across the table from him. The infamous Cameron, Cosmo's very best friend, was enjoying the last of his miniature hot fudge sundae and watching the wild antics of the rest of the party guests who were dancing with the waiters and waitresses. Sock hop music from the 50's blared from a juke box and Cameron grinned as he set his spoon down and clapped his hands when the song ended. Luka lifted his head as Molly walked Declan over toward him. The baby's fists were in her hands as he gleefully plodded toward his father. Luka picked his son up and jostled him in his arms as Molly went off to join the rest of the dancers. Declan chuckled and rubbed his fists in his eyes.

"If you were an octopus, you would be dead now," Cameron said as he leaned on his folded arms and studied Luka. Luka raised a dark eyebrow and met the little boy's serious gaze.

"Is that so?" he asked. Cameron nodded his dark head and reached up to brush the thick, dark bangs off his forehead.

"An octopus dies after they give their sperm to a mother octopus so she can lay her eggs," the little boy explained. "Sperm is what boy bodies make to give to girl bodies so they can have babies." Luka's brow rose a little higher as he adjusted the little boy in his lap.

"You know a lot about octopus," he managed to choke. Cameron's slanted eyes seemed to disappear as he grinned and nodded.

"I am the octopus expert in our class," he said. "Cosmo wanted to be the shark expert but everybody wanted to be the shark expert. Our teacher asked him to be the Orca expert instead. You know? Killer whales? Except they really don't kill people like you think. They're….."

"I know," Luka said. "I saw one at the aquarium today. I saw an octopus too. Hanging from the ceiling?"

"That was a giant squid," Cameron corrected as his brow furrowed. "Didn't you know that?"

"A squid has eight arms like an octopus does but they also have two long tentacles," he went on. "They use the tentacles to capture food and carry it to their mouth and…"

"Cameron," Susan interrupted him as she put her hands on his shoulders. "Susie wants to take a picture of everyone with the waiters over there." The little boy shrugged, climbed down from his chair and joined the group of friends around Cosmo.

"Thank you," Luka sighed. "That kid knows too much about too many things." Susan laughed and dropped into the chair across the table from him. She nodded toward the group of children.

"Lauren loves him though," she said. Luka glanced back to see Lauren with her arms wrapped around Cameron and squeezing him tight. Luka frowned and turned back to Susan.

"They'll probably end up married to each other," Susan chortled. Luka's frown deepened.

"That's not funny," Luka growled.

"Yes, it is," she laughed. He shook his head and then glanced back at the group of children again. They were all mugging happily for Susie's camera. He grinned and then chuckled.

"Will you be okay for a minute?" he asked. "I told Abby I would get some ribs from Ryan's for dinner tonight. It's just across the street."

"Will you pick up two slabs for me too?" she asked. "My dad is coming over for dinner and cake before Scott takes the girls home. I'll pay you when we get back." Luka nodded and glanced back at Lauren, who was happily dancing with Casey and Molly again, and left. Susan's eyes came to rest on Cosmo. He was having such a good time. He'd stuck by her birthday rule of eight kids for his eighth party and had included Lauren, Casey and Molly in that number without being asked. They, along with the four school friends he'd chosen to invite, were decked out in jeans and the bright orange tee shirts she and Susie had painted for the occasion. It had made it much easier to keep track of all of them at the aquarium.

Eight years.

Eight years ago she had given birth to him with Chuck at her side, holding her hands, wiping her brow. He had been two weeks over due and she was exhausted. And exhilarated when he'd finally made an appearance. Chuck had bawled like a baby when he'd cut the cord and then studied the screaming scrap of baby on her chest. She had cried too but then laughed when she realized the two men in her life were crying in unison. They had had so much fun with him. Chuck was forever posing him…them….for pictures. He'd loved everything about being a daddy. And he had been so willing to play the stay at home parent so she could go back to work. From that point on they had been best buddies. Sometimes it actually hurt to watch the two of them together. And that was especially true in the end. But Chuck would be so proud of the caring, creative little kid his son had become. And that was important to her.

Susan jumped as she was startled from her thoughts when a hand squeezed her shoulder. She looked up as Scott moved behind her.

"They're having fun," he grinned.

"Everything okay at the hospital?" she asked as he sat in the chair next to her. Scott nodded and then laughed as the waiters led all of the kids and other restaurant patrons in a Conga line.

"I think they're headed this way," he warned her. Susan groaned as he picked up her hand and stood up.

"Come on, Mom," he cajoled her. "It's your kid's birthday!" Susan stood up and tugged on the orange tee shirt she wore. They waited until the end of the line and then he nudged her into the end of the line and his hands settled onto her hips from behind as they congaed their way through the restaurant.

Much later, Susan knocked and then pushed open Cosmo's bedroom door. He was curled under his covers reading a new book. Fudge was stretched out beside him and didn't even bother to look up. His tail whapped on the covers though. She grinned and crossed the room. She frowned a little and looked around. Something was different. She sat down on the edge of his bed and then smiled slightly. The floor was clean. She saw the plastic tub that usually slipped under his bed near the closet door. It was filled with the action figures and other toys that usually littered the carpet. She grinned and took the Magic Tree House book from him and read the title.

"Is this the book Cameron gave you today? " she asked. Cosmo nodded. Susan put a Star Wars book marker at the page he was reading and set the book on his bedside table. There were two gift cards for the builders store leaning against the base of his airplane lamp. One was from Luka and one was from Scott. It was money for the wood for a tree house. Susan smiled a little and took a deep breath.

"Did you have a good birthday?" she asked the little boy in the bed. Cosmo grinned and looked up at her as he nodded. Susan studied his face and reached out to brush the hair from his face. He was looking so much more like Chuck these days. His jaw was squarer, his cheeks rounder and he had that look in his blue eyes. It was eerie.

"You're eight now," she sighed. "That sounds so much older than seven." Cosmo smiled again. Susan leaned down to kiss him and Cosmo wrapped his arms around her neck for a hug. She kissed his cheek again and sat up, tucking his blankets around him.

"Mom," Cosmo asked. "Do you still miss my dad?" Susan stopped and looked down at him.

"Of course I do," she said quietly. "Especially on days like today. He would have loved your party. He probably would have gotten up on the counter and danced with all those waiters." Cosmo laughed as she tickled him.

"Yeah," he said as he calmed down. Susan waited. There was something else weighing on his mind. She could feel it. Cosmo played with his fingers on top of the covers for a moment and looked up at her slyly.

"Is it okay if I don't miss my dad all the time?" There was a worried little frown on his face and she smiled reassuringly.

"You like Scott, don't you?" Cosmo's eyes brightened and he nodded. Susan sighed.

"If your Dad couldn't be here himself," she said. "He would want us to find some that makes us happy. You know that, right?" Cosmo nodded slowly. She leaned down a little closer to him.

"Then it's okay to love someone else," she said slowly. "Daddy would want us to." Cosmo gazed up at her for a long moment and then smiled. Susan rubbed noses with him and kissed his cheeks again.

"Happy birthday, little man," she whispered. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Cosmo yawned. He rolled over and buried a hand in Fudge's fur. She tucked the blankets closer around him and he snuggled into his pillows and closed his eyes. Susan switched off the airplane lamp on his table and stood up to cross the room. She left his door open a crack and the light on in the hall and made her way back down stairs to the living room. She could hear Susie putting dishes into the dishwasher in the kitchen. Susan gathered up the boxes of Lego sets Cosmo had gotten for gifts and stacked them on the dining table.

"Want some tea?" Susie asked from the kitchen as the tea kettle whistled.

"That sounds great," Susan said. She circled the couch and dropped down into the cushions on the couch and slipped the shoes off her feet. Susie carried two steaming mugs from the kitchen and handed one to Susan before sitting at the other end of the couch. She pulled her legs up and Susan did the same. They sat with the backs against the couch arms and their toes propped up against one another's.

"You were a big help today," Susan said as she sipped on the tea. "Thank you."

"Well, don't forget Molly," Susie offered. 'She really knew how to rein those boys in."

"And I am sure that's going to really relieve her dad's mind when she starts dating," Susan laughed.

"She's a good kid," Susie sighed.

"So are you," Susan said softly. They were silent as they sipped on their tea for a moment. Susan studied the girl for a moment.

"Have you heard from your mother at all?" she asked. Susie shook her head.

"Nope," she said. "Have you?"

"I was just wondering where we should send your graduation announcement and invitation to the party," Susan said. "Is there a friend or someone in San Diego that we can call or write to?" Susie frowned and concentrated on balancing her mug on her bent knees.

"I don't want her to come," she said flatly. Susan frowned slightly.

"Susie," she said with a confused frown. "It's your high school graduation. That's a pretty big deal. She would want to be there." The girl frowned and her lips pursed tightly together. She set the mug on the coffee table next to her and folded her legs in front of her.

"She doesn't care about us," she said as she looked at Susan. "Why should she be allowed to swoop in here and pretend to be 'Wonder Mommy' and ruin everything?"

"What is she going to ruin?" Susan pulled herself to a straighter position and studied the girl.

"You are already in trouble because you let me visit her last summer," Susie said. "What are the grandparents going to have to say if 'the addict' shows up at my graduation and then stays at the house with us?"

"Stop that, right now," Susan scolded gently. "She's your mother and my sister. She will always be welcome in this house. You know that."

"Even if she starts shooting up in front of Cosmo or Casey?" Susie spit angrily. "She's done that, you know. She's done drugs like that in front of a little kid. Me."

"We would not let that happen," Susan said. "And calm down, right now. Besides, she would probably stay with Grandpa if she came."

"Well, it's my party," Susie said as she stood up and grabbed her mug off the table. "I think I should be able to decide who comes and who doesn't and I don't want her here."

"Susie, nothing in that custody suit is your fault." The girl took her empty mug into the kitchen and then came out again.

"I have some reading to do for a class," she said as she headed up the stairs.

"Susie….." Susan repeated plaintively. There was no response as her niece disappeared up the stairs and then Susan heard a bedroom door close quietly above her. She sighed heavily and finished the tea in her mug. Her cell phone rang on the table next to her and she picked it up. She saw Scott's picture on the caller id screen and pushed the button to accept the call.

"Hi," she said as she held the phone up to her ear.

"Is the birthday boy all tucked in for the night?" he asked.

"Yes, he is," she said.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked. Susan shook her head slightly. Was it so obvious that he could tell across the phone waves?

"Susan?" Scott asked.

"Susie and I are playing the blame game," Susan sighed. There was no use denying it.

"The blame game?" he asked. She took a deep breath and sighed again.

"She doesn't want her mother to come to her graduation or party because she is blaming herself for going to San Diego last summer," she said.

"And having it dragged out in the custody suit," he added quietly. Susan was silent.

"Well, that's no big deal," he said finally. "Don't push it."

"Scott, it's her mother," Susan replied.

"No, it's not," he said. "You are her mother, honey. You are the one that has helped with her homework and stayed with her when she was in the hospital and made sure she had clothes on her back, a roof over her head and food in the cupboard. Let it go."

"But, Scott….." she sighed.

"Susan, don't open a can of worms," he said. "Especially if Susie doesn't want you to."

"You're worried about it too, aren't you?" she asked slowly.

"No," came the response from the phone.

"Yes, you are," Susan said. Scott sighed.

"Look," he said. "I stood by and watched as my brother destroyed my parents because they kept trying, kept pushing, to keep him in the fold. Don't do it too."

"She's my sister, Scott," Susan said flatly.

"And David was my brother," he said. "But it was his addiction. Not mine." Susan slipped her legs off the couch and sat straighter in the cushions.

"I just don't want Susie to wake up some day and have regrets because we didn't do more for her mother," she said.

"It sounds like Susie has come to terms with it but you haven't," he said. "Besides, you are doing the best possible thing you can do for your sister by raising her daughter into the beautiful, capable, intelligent being that she is. That's the best thing you can do for her right now."

Damn it. He was right. He was so right about everything. Even after all of these years she still felt that need to do 'right' by Chloe. Where did that need come from anyway? Theirs had always been more of a give and give some more relationship on her part.

"Susan?"

"I'm here," she sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She smiled a little at the tremulous response.

"Every guy I have ever dated has always tried to pin some kind of a nick name on me like 'Sue' or 'Susie'," she said. "Even Chuck called me 'Suze' on occasion even though he knew I hated it. But you never have. Why is that?"

"I don't know," he said. "You've never seemed like a Sue or a Susie or a Suze to me." Susan pondered his response silently for a moment. She took a deep breath.

"Abby told you not to, didn't she," she asked.

"No. Luka did," he answered quickly. "When we were on the teacup ride at Disney World." Susan laughed and relaxed into the couch cushions.

"Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, if I can get away," she sighed.

"I love you, babe," Scott said quietly.

"I love you too," she answered. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night." She listened as the phone disconnected and set hers on the coffee table in front of her. After staring at it thoughtfully for a few minutes, she picked it up and quickly went through the numbers till she found the one she wanted. She pushed the dial button and waited.

"This number is no longer in service," came the recording. She slapped the phone back onto the table and shook her head.

"Damn you, Chloe," she muttered as she reached over to switch off the light beside her. She stood up and went to the front door to make sure it was locked and then climbed the stairs to the second floor and her bedroom.


	13. Henry

"Oh….my," Susan moaned happily from the massage table. "This feels so good." Abby laughed from the neighboring table and sighed.

"Nice of Luka and Scott to make sure we would have something to do while they were gone, huh?" she said.

"Mmm hmmm," Susan murmured as she closed her eyes and relaxed while the masseuse kneaded and worked at the muscles in her back.

"And we thought we were going to be stuck at work the whole weekend," she sighed again.

"I love it when those two work together," Abby groaned happily. "Do you think they are having as much fun as we are?"

"Well, Cosmo has only called me one time to tell me that he misses me so I imagine they are pretty busy with all the water slides and lazy rivers and water cannons at that hotel." Susan opened her eyes and turned her head toward Abby.

"I know we have dinner reservations but would you mind if we stopped by my dad's house for a minute?" she asked. "I think he has his phone ringer on silent again."

"Whatever you want," Abby sighed happily as the masseuse worked on her back. Susan chuckled and closed her own eyes again.

Abby pulled the car into the driveway of Henry's house and studied the front.

"The lights are on," she said. Susan shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Susie showed him how to turn the ringer off and sometimes he forgets to turn it back on," she said as she opened the car door. "He hasn't answered it since last night. There was probably a game on he wanted to watch yesterday. I'll just be a minute." Abby nodded and watched as she hurried up the walk and then the concrete steps to the small porch.

"Dad?" Susan called as she unlocked the front door and pushed it open. She sighed in exasperation as she saw him asleep in the recliner in front of the television. She reached for the remote and turned the television off.

"Dad?" she said as she shook his shoulder and glanced toward the cell phone on the table next to him. It was flashing with untaken calls. Susan frowned a little and then reached for his wrist. Her face fell and she slipped to sit on the nearby coffee table in front of the worn couch. There was no pulse.

"Oh, Dad," she said softly and her fingers closed around his hand. She sat still for a moment and looked up as the door opened.

"Hey, do you think I could use the….." Abby's voice trailed off as she she glanced from Susan's face to Henry's.

"Is he…" she asked.

"Yeah, he's gone," Susan interrupted. "Could you call the police for me, Abby? I am pretty sure a coroner needs to come before we can move him anywhere else." Abby nodded and dug into the pocket of her jacket. She punched in 911 and waited, not taking her eyes off Susan. She sat on the table and held Henry's hand gently as she studied his face.

"Your timing was perfect, Dad," she said softly as she patted his hand. "Susie is in Iowa or she might have been to one to find you like this. Thank you for that."

"They're on their way," Abby said as she slipped to the table next to Susan. "Do you want me to call Scott?" Susan shook her head.

"No," she said. "They'll be coming home in a couple of hours anyway. I don't want them to upset Cosmo." Abby nodded and slipped and arm across Susan's shoulders.

"What about Susie?" she asked. Susan sighed heavily.

"Maybe I should talk to Beth first," she said as she glanced at Abby. "So she'll be ready when I tell Susie. They could probably get her on a flight home tonight, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Abby replied. Susan took another deep breath and pulled her own cell phone from her pocket. Abby watched as Susan found the number and pressed the buttons. Their eyes met and Abby smiled reassuringly. It was going to be a long week.

As Luka made his way to the podium near the casket for the eulogy, Susan felt the girl next to her tighten her grasp on her hand. Molly clung to Susie's other hand on the other side of her. Abby and Lauren were seated next to Molly. Susan smiled slightly and adjusted her other arm around Cosmo, who was pressed as close to her side as he could get from his seat in the chair next to her. Susan dragged her eyes to the face of the man sitting on the other side of her son. Scott held Cosmo's hand and had his other arm wrapped around Casey in the chair next to him. The little girl peeked around him and her eyes met Susan's. Susan forced a smile and Casey blinked her eyes sadly and smiled back.

Lauren sighed in her mother's lap and then slipped down to the floor. Abby gasped quietly and grabbed for the full skirt of the little girl's black and white checked dress but Lauren was making her way toward the open casket behind Luka. Abby sat back in her chair and swallowed desperately as she looked toward Luka. He glanced behind him as he continued to speak and then shrugged slightly. Susan stifled a smile as the little girl stood on tip toe in her black patent leather Mary Jane's and peeked over the edge of the casket. She reached in and patted Henry's arm and then danced away. She stood just out of Abby's reach and began to twirl in circles on the carpet. The soft full skirt and wide red bow from her sash swished and swayed all around her. She stopped and then swayed a little in dizziness before wrapping an arm around Luka's leg to steady herself. She reached up to push the stray strands of dark hair off her forehead and back toward the red bow that held her long hair back from her face. Luka reached down and put his hand on her shoulder as she looked up at her daddy and smiled. Abby was mortified. She glanced over at Susan.

"I am so sorry," she mouthed. Susan shook her head slightly and smiled.

"I think Grandpa is sitting in a Barco lounger somewhere clapping his hands right now," Susie whispered in Susan's ear.

"And laughing at the look on Abby's face," Susan whispered back and stifled a giggle. They both leaned their heads a little to study Abby's frown and then shook their heads with a smile.

Susan tried hard to concentrate on what Luka was saying but it was difficult. So many things spinning in her head. So many things still to do. And all she could think about was when she and Abby had discovered her dad teaching Lauren to spit shine the very shoes the little girl was wearing right now at Christmas. Abby had been so mad, and probably rightfully so since Lauren had been caught spitting on and 'shining' every shoe in the house for a week after. Susan couldn't help but smile again. She looked up again as Luka lifted Lauren in his arms and approached her. He handed her the paper he had been reading from leaned down to kiss her. He patted Cosmo's head and kissed Susie. Susan sighed. It was over.

The duplex had been crowded with friends after the service. Her dad's friends, Susie's friends , the neighbors she had grown up with, people from the hospital…everyone crowded into the duplex to pay their respects and eat the food Chuny's mother and sisters had made for them.

Abby came out the front door of her home and saw Susan sitting on the front steps. She frowned sadly and then stepped down to sit next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Susan nodded.

"Cosmo just left with Cameron's family and Scott is taking the girls to their grandparents for the weekend," Susan said.

"He's coming back, right?" Abby asked. Susan nodded.

"He's going over to my dad's house with Susie and I tomorrow after Beth and Heather leave," she replied. "We have to make some decisions about what to give away and what to keep." Abby nodded. She eyed the woman next to her worriedly.

"You know," Susan said. "I am over 40 years old, been through medical school, widowed, raising a teenager and a little boy…..I am a doctor, for cripes' sake….and I still feel like an orphan."

"Oh, you're not an orphan," Abby sighed as she nudged her friend's shoulder. "I mean, we still have Maggie." Susan let that comment sink in and then turned her head. Abby's head was cocked and there was a hopeful look in her brown eyes. Susan burst out laughing and then hugged her.

"I love you," she said with a chuckle. "I really, really do. It means a lot that you're willing to share your bi-polar mother with me." Abby laughed and then wiped her eyes when they separated. They looked up as Chuny and her mother and sister came out the front door.

'Your dishwasher is loaded," Chuny said. "I didn't want to turn it on without telling you in case you need the hot water or something. And all the leftovers are in your refrigerator and Abby's." Susan stood up and hugged her.

"Thank you so much, Chuny," she said. Chuny nodded and stepped aside as her mother wrapped Susan in a quick hug and murmured something in Spanish.

"The food was delicious," Susan assured her. The three women headed toward the car parked behind Abby's van.

"Oh, hey," Chuny called as she opened the driver's door of her sedan. "If it's ever up for sale, my parents want to buy your house." Susan and Abby looked at each other and then back to Chuny. She frowned and waved her hand at them.

"Not for them and me," she laughed. "They want it for them and my brother's family! I am not that crazy." She sat in her car and buckled the seat belt. She waved as she pulled the car out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

She was already in bed when he came in from the bathroom. Her head rested on her folded arm as she watched him fold his clothes and stack them on the chair beside the dresser.

"You look tired," he said.

"Yeah," she sighed heavily. "It's been a long day." She groaned and buried her head in her pillow.

"I forgot to check on Susie and Heather," she said.

"I just talked to them," he said as he climbed into the bed beside her. "They're skyping with someone in Iowa and then they're going to bed." Scott switched off the bedside lamp and wrapped his arms around Susan, pulling her even closer to him.

"Love you, hon," he whispered as he kissed a spot behind her ear. Susan nestled her back against his bare chest and closed her eyes.

"I should have been helping you a long time ago….are you going to marry her?...what exactly does a vegan eat for breakfast anyway?... I have a postcard from Chloe…Forget about her, honey…..Just concentrate on that little girl there…." Susan squeezed her eyes tight but she still saw him, sleeping in the recliner next to her Christmas tree, peering over his reading glasses as he and Cosmo puzzled through the directions from a box of Legos together, holding Declan on a bench at Disney World, very seriously instructing Lauren on the proper spit to shine her shoes, wrapping his arms around Susie…and Heather…and Molly….Casey….and her, laughing with Chuck on their back patio in Iowa….." Chuck. Her dad.

It started in the pit of her stomach. She could feel it roiling up to her chest. She turned suddenly in Scott's arms and buried her face in his shoulder trying to stop it. Scott's arms tightened around her as the sob broke through and the guttural moan that followed. He held her tightly as she cried.


	14. Graduation

"Wow, this is great," Scott said as he knelt to examine the side of the china cabinet. He traced a finger over the notches that had been chiseled into the side. He looked up at Susan and smiled.

"You were this tall when you were two?" She nodded as she wrapped another of her Grandmother's china plates in a sheet of plastic bubble wrap and stacked it in the packing box.

"Yeah, Cookie decided that if we ever moved the hutch would go with us so she used that instead of a door frame or door," she sighed. "My Grandmother was so pissed." Scott chuckled and stood up. He frowned when he saw the small blue sticky note attached to the open glass door of the hutch. Things she was keeping had yellow notes stuck to them.

"You're getting rid of this?" He was frowning as he rubbed his hand over the worn, warm wood. Susan sighed again.

"Well, I don't have any place that it would fit at the duplex and I can't really sell it with all those marks on the side," she said. "They kind of negate the value for anyone else."

"You could put it in storage somewhere," he said. "I mean you aren't going to be living there forever, right?"

"I'm not?" Susan frowned as she slipped another wrapped plate into the box. "We like it there." Scott studied the hutch thoughtfully again.

"Can I have it?" he asked. Susan laughed and then frowned.

"And where would you put it?" she asked as she wrapped a delicate tea cup from a shelf in bubble wrap. Scott shrugged.

"In my dining room," he said. "I have been thinking of getting rid of that white French provincial stuff anyway. I've never liked it."

"You probably should get something new and let the girls help you pick it out," she said absently as she continued packing.

"They will love this," Scott said firmly as he ran his hand over the carved wood at the top. "And I can have the side refinished if it bothers you." Susan shrugged and nodded. Scott grinned.

Refinished like hell. She might not be thinking along the same lines yet but Henry knew. Next to the newest scratches for Cosmo, Susie and Lauren were two marked 'Molly' and 'Casey'. And Susan hadn't seen them.

Susie came through the hall dragging two big plastic bags behind her.

"Here's the bedding and towels and stuff," she said.

"All destined for Sanctuary House," Susan said. Scott nodded and lifted the bags into a pile of bags and boxes near the door.

"And look what I found in the back of Grandpa's closet," Susie said and held up a worn, brown leather jacket. "Can I keep it?" Susan's eyes widened and she reached for the coat.

"His A-2 bomber jacket," she gasped as she held it out to look at it. "I wore this when I was in high school!" Susan hugged it affectionately for a moment.

"Of course you can keep it!" she laughed when she saw the worried look on Susie's face. She handed the jacket back to her. "We'll get it cleaned and see if it needs any repair this summer. It will be perfect to keep you warm crossing that college campus this winter." Susie nodded and caressed the leather a second before laying it on top of a box of photographs.

"Are you sure about all of the furniture?" Scott asked. Susan nodded.

"We took my old bedroom set and put it in Susie's room when we moved here from Iowa," she said thoughtfully as she looked around. "He gave us some other things then too. Most of this is ...I don't know." Her eyes came to rest on the leather Barco Lounger for a moment. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"I am keeping my Grandmother's china and silver for Susie and Cosmo," she said. "There is a box of jewelry and stuff. We'll go through all of the pictures and mementos some other time so those boxes can go in my basement."

"And I get this," Scott said with a grin as he ran his hand on the china hutch. Susan grimaced and shook her head a little.

"And I am not sure why you want it," she said as she reached for another delicate tea cup. Scott's eyes met Susie's and she rolled her eyes.

"If we can get the house cleared out we can put it on the market as soon as the will is taken care of," Susan said with a determined shrug. "And I would kind of like everything done and over this week so we can just concentrate on graduation next weekend."

"Don't let that worry you," Susie said as she dropped onto the worn sofa. "I don't think I am going to go." Susan's shoulders sagged and she turned to look at the girl in dismay.

"What?" she gasped with a confused smile.

"It's kind of stupid when you think about it," Susie sighed and tugged absently at a loose thread in the worn knee of her jeans. "I take most of my classes at U of C. Why do I need to go sit in a hot auditorium to get a piece of paper that doesn't really mean anything?"

"To be there with your friends…." Susan drawled and then she frowned. "What do you mean it doesn't mean anything?" Susie rolled her eyes.

"It's not like I need the diploma to get into college or anything," she said. "Hello? I'm there." She reached into her pocket as her cell phone rang and checked the caller identification window.

"It's Brett," she said as she stood up. "He's probably calling about when they can pick up Grandpa's television." Susan watched as the girl answered her phone and made her way around the bags and boxes in the living room toward the open front door and porch. Susan frowned and then turned her gaze to Scott.

"What do you make of that?" she asked. Scott shrugged.

"She's got a lot going on in her head right now," he said. "It might be best to just leave it alone for a couple of days." Susan nodded thoughtfully and sighed again. Scott glanced at his watch.

"I've got to meet Matt for dinner tonight," he said. "He'd like you to come but understands if you don't want to." Susan's chin dropped to her chest.

"I've been so caught up," she said. "I haven't even thought about your court case. Why does he want me to come?" She closed the glass doors of the china hutch. Scott shrugged as he leaned against the side.

"He likes you?" he shrugged. "And if you're there it's a social thing. Maybe he won't bill me." Susan laughed.

"Yeah, right," she chortled and slipped into his arms. Scott chuckled and held her close as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Brett and his dad are coming to pick up the television," Susie said as she came in the front door. "His mom wants to know if we want to come to their house for dinner." Susan looked up and then shook her head.

"Aw, honey, that's sweet of her," she said. "I have to go to the lawyer's with Scott. But that would work out for you if you want to go. Cosmo is staying with Cameron again tonight." Susie nodded and went back out onto the porch with her cell phone. Susan lifted her eyes to meet Scott's and grinned.

"I'm ready to leave when you are," she said. "We should probably go home and shower and change before meeting Matt." Scott's eyebrows rose and he glanced toward the front door where Susie stood, still talking on her phone.

"Shower?" he mused playfully. Susan chuckled again and pulled away from him.

"Good lord," she groused quietly with a smile. "You have a one track mind."

"I know," Scott grinned. "Isn't it fun?" Susan laughed and leaned forward to kiss him. Her heart swelled in her chest. After all of the sadness and the busy-ness of the last week, it felt good to be wanted. To be cared for. To be back in some semblance of…normalcy….again.

Normalcy. What was normal any more? She tried to think back to when things had ever been….normal. Was it back in Iowa? Before Susie came or after? Maybe 'normal' had been Chicago, when they moved into the duplex. Their family of three and Abby's family. But was that even normal?

Susan looked up and shook her head a bit as Scott's hand squeezed hers under the table.

"I'm sorry," she said. "What were you saying?" Matt's wife smiled sympathetically across the dinner table.

"My husband told me the two of you met at Disney World," Kate said again.

"It was the plane to Florida, actually," Susan clarified. "My Dad was sitting with the little kids so that I could read the medical journals I'd fallen behind on. Scott was the passenger next to me."

"We didn't get much reading done, did we?" Scott chuckled as he lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers.

"I'd say we pretty much laughed our way to warmer weather on that flight," she grinned. Kate and Matt exchanged amused glances.

"And you have two children of your own?"

"One," Susan said as she leaned back a little as a waiter set a salad in front of her. "Cosmo is eight and my niece lives with us. She is seventeen."

"And amazing," Scott added.

"Yeah, she is," Susan agreed as she took a deep breath and surveyed the food in front of her. "She is headed for the University of Michigan in the fall."

"I graduated from U of M," Matt gasped with a laugh. "It's a tough school to get into. Good for her."

"Well, it's been part of her life plan since she was thirteen," Susan said as she toyed with her salad fork. "Her advisor there wanted her to start last fall but she delayed entry until her best friend was able to go too."

"They wanted her to start before she had even graduated?" Kate asked. Susan nodded.

"Susie is a very good student academically and a little…different…because of it. She moved in with us when she was twelve," she explained. "The school district had to put her in a great parochial school to meet her needs in Iowa. I think she finally found her niche there, you know? Then when we moved to Chicago she went back into the public school and kind of ran rings around her Teachers. She has been taking most of her classes at U of C this year." She looked at Scott with a surprised smile.

"I guess I can see why she does not want us to make a fuss about graduation after all," she said. Scott reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"There will be other graduations," he said. "College, med school…" Susan nodded.

"She wants to be a doctor?" Matt asked. Susan laughed quietly.

"Susie wants to be 'Dr. Phil'," she said.

"And she can do it," Scott chuckled. "This kid has a knack for figuring people out. Rachel hates her."

"Which could explain a lot of things," Matt chuckled.

"Rachel has only met her once," Susan frowned slightly. "They were backstage at the dance recital."

"My girls have talked," Scott shrugged. "Susie has given them some sound advice on how to handle things with their grandparents."

"Advice their grandparents are not especially happy with?" Susan asked. Scott shrugged again.

"They have requested for another delay, you know," Matt interjected. Susan's shoulders sagged.

"It's a common tactic when they know they are fighting a losing battle," the lawyer said as he lifted his wine glass to his lips.

"It shouldn't be a battle at all," Susan said quietly. "They don't seem to know how lucky they are." Her eyes met Scott's and he lifted his wine glass to her. She sighed and looked back down at her salad. She picked up her fork again.

He was so right. There would be other graduations.


	15. Celebrations

Susan folded her arms onto the glass dining room table in Scott's house and leaned a little forward. Susie was carefully studying the small three tiered cake that had pink sugar roses spilling down the side. She still wore the flowered sundress she had worn under her graduation gown and the silken gold rope of academic honors was looped across her shoulders.

"You're taking too long," Cosmo sighed from his spot next to her.

"I'm trying to figure out how to cut it so everyone can have a flower on their piece," she said.

"But I'm hungry," Cosmo whined. "I want cake."

"Me too," Luka sighed mournfully as he rested his chin on Declan's head. The little boy was sucking a finger as he sat contentedly on his father's lap. Susie frowned and then bit the tip of her tongue as she pulled the knife through the top layer of the cake. There was a round of applause from the family circling the table and Susie grinned as she slipped a piece of the cake onto the plate Abby held out. Susie cut another slice as Scott wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a hug and kissed the top of her head. The girl looked up at him and grinned.

Susan couldn't help but think about how this day would have been so very different had they stayed in Iowa. The graduating class would have been much smaller and the whole ceremony not nearly as long. Susie wouldn't have been such a speck on a gymnasium floor as she moved toward the stage to get her diploma. And she probably would have been the one to give the valedictory speech at her private school in Iowa. Probably. Susan was shaken from her thoughts as she felt a nudge at her side. Casey was standing next to her chair and looked a little worried as she studied Susan's face. Susan grinned and slipped her arm around the little girl's waist and drew her closer.

"Thank you," she said as she took the plate and fork that Abby handed to her. Susan kept an arm around Casey as she took a bite of the cake.

"Oh…this is delicious," she murmured. Casey grinned happily.

"We went to three bakeries to find it last night," the little girl whispered in her ear.

"You probably wouldn't have had to do that if someone had not decided to go to graduation at the very last minute," Susan whispered back.

"I definitely heard that," Susie glowered from across the table. Susan shrugged innocently and then smiled.

"But I am glad you did decide to participate after all," she said. Susie grinned and slipped another piece of cake onto a waiting plate. Susan surveyed the people gathered around the table again and her heart clenched just a little. Her Dad was gone. Chloe was still…missing. And Susie would be leaving in the fall. She didn't know if she was ready for all of this. Not yet. Her gaze shifted around the table at her make shift family and came to rest on Scott. He was grinning happily and trading quips with Luka, teasing Susie and ruffling Cosmo's hair as he balanced a plate and fork in one hand. Their eyes met and he winked. Susan sighed and took another bite of her cake.

Later, after settling the kids in front of a movie on the television in Scott's office, she went in search of him. Scott and Luka were standing on the back patio deep in discussion as they surveyed the back lawn of the house. Grey clouds filled the sky and she glanced up to see if it was going to rain. They looked back abruptly as she opened the glass door and stepped outside.

"Hey," Susan smiled. "What's up?" Luka brushed a hand over his chin and shrugged.

"Just talking," he said. "Is Abby ready to go? I have a shift at the hospital tonight." Susan nodded.

"She's helping Susie load the dishwasher right now," she said as she studied him curiously. "I can take her home if you want to go right to the ER." Luka shook his head and grinned as he made his way to the door.

"And miss the grocery shopping we have to do with two kids in the shopping cart?" he laughed. "I don't think Abby would forgive me for missing all that fun!" He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"She was beautiful today," he murmured. Susan grinned and nodded as he hugged her and then disappeared back into the house. Susan frowned a bit as she sidled next to Scott on the edge of the patio.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked as she studied his face. Scott shrugged.

"Nothing much," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm thinking about redoing some landscaping and was asking his advice." Susan tipped her head back to look at him.

"You were asking Luka about….landscaping?" she chortled.

"He knows a lot!" Scott protested with a laugh. They stood together for a long moment in each other's arms. Susan sighed heavily and she tightened her hold on him.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Seeing her getting that diploma and not having my Dad there kind of felt like the beginning of the end."

"What…end?" Scott asked as he nestled his cheek in her hair. Susan shrugged in his arms.

"I don't know," she choked. "The end of….something." Scott smiled softly.

"It could be a new beginning, you know," he said. "It's going to be, for her anyway. College classes, dorms, cafeteria meals... Susie will have that university whipped into shape in no time." He grinned as he felt her chuckle against his chest. They both looked toward the house as the door slid open again.

"Abby and Luka are leaving," Susie said as she poked her head out. "Brett has been texting asking when we are coming over to his graduation party. I can take the kids alone if you want me to." Susan frowned and shook her head.

"No," she said. "I want to see his family too."

"Take the kids and we will meet you there later," Scott said as he held her closer. Susie nodded and started to close the door.

"Susie," he said as he dug into the pocket of his jeans. "Take my car." He tossed his keys to her. Susie's eyes widened and she grinned.

"You're letting me take the Beemer? By myself?" she gasped. "Sweet!"

"You've driven it before," Scott chuckled.

"Not without you breathing down my neck," the girl grinned.

"Make sure they're buckled in!" Susan called as the door slid closed. "And be careful!" Susie nodded through the door as she dangled the keys happily on her fingers.

"Looks like we bought us some time," Scott said as he kissed her forehead. "I am going to miss that girl. Do you think we can talk her into skipping the whole University of Michigan experience and staying in Chicago?" Susan laughed and moved her hands to the sides of his face. She sighed happily and drew his lips closer to hers.

An hour later, Susan dug through her purse as she waited for Scott to zip the back of her dress. Her eyes widened as read the messages on her phone.

"Oh God," she gasped as he came from the bathroom. "I forgot to take it off silent setting after the graduation ceremony. Scott, they're at the hospital. They were in an accident."

"What?" Scott fastened the button on his jeans and hurriedly pulled the zipper up in her dress as she pushed buttons on the phone to call Susie. They hurried down the staircase and Scott grabbed her purse from her and dug through it for her car keys as he opened the front door and leaped down the front steps of the house. Susan was choking in fear as she stabbed at the buttons on her phone following him.

"There are no answers!" she cried as she slid into the passenger side of her car.

"What hospital?" he asked grimly. "Try your voicemail." Susan flashed through the text messages on her phone and shook her head. She switched on the speaker and then dialed the voice mail number. They listened as Susie's shaken voice filled the car.

"Aunt Susan? Where are you? We've been in an accident. I'm sorry. We're mostly okay. Paramedics are coming and the car is pretty bad and…where are you?" Tears flooded Susan's terror filled eyes and she looked at Scott. His face was grim. The second message was from a police officer telling them that EMTs were transporting all four passengers from the vehicle to County General per Susie's request. Scott hit the gas and pulled the car out into the street. He listened as Susan called the ER desk at County. The ambulance hadn't arrived yet and she told Frank to tell Susie when it did that they were on their way. Then she asked who was on duty and nodded.

"We are still about 20 minutes away," she said.

"Ten," Scott corrected her as he took the car around a slower vehicle.

"Ten minutes away," Susan said as she eyed his stony profile. "I don't know, Frank, but tell David to have them ready to take all four in for…..oh never mind. He knows what to do." She turned off the phone.

"A resident?" Scott asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

"An attending," she responded. "A very good attending." Scott nodded silently. Susan took a deep breath as she studied the traffic on the road and then looked back at Scott.

"I'm sure they're fine, Scott," she said as tears welled up in her eyes again and she squeezed his knee. "They're fine." He nodded and closed a hand around her fingers.

"Where should I park?" he asked as he came closer to the hospital.

"Go to the ambulance bay," she directed. "If there are no spots there, I'll get someone to park the car for us." Scott nodded and they were silent as he made his way through traffic toward the ER bay. Susan breathed a bit of relief as she saw the scrub clad intern standing on the curb. Scott pulled the car to a stop behind cars parked at the curb.

"Frank told me you might need someone to park your car," the young man said as he moved to the driver's side.

"Thanks, Ricky," Susan sighed breathlessly as she crawled out of the passenger side and Scott handed him the keys.

"No problem, Doctor Lewis," the younger man said. "I'm on my break anyway!" He climbed into her car and closed the door as Scott took Susan's hand and they headed toward the ER entrance.

"Hey, Doc!" the EMT stashing supplies into the back of a parked ambulance called. "It looks a lot worse than it is. She insisted on us putting C-collars on all of them but her." Susan suppressed a relieved grin as Scott pushed open the door.

"Thanks, Zadro!" she called back to him. Frank was waiting for them at the desk.

"Cosmo and Susie are in exam three and the other girls are in exam 4," he said. Susan nodded and hurried toward exam 2 still clinging to Scott's hand. Susie was coming out of the door holding a cold pack on her forehead. She saw Susan and burst into tears.

"Cosmo got the worst of it," she cried. "I think his arm is broken." Susan nodded and wrapped an arm around her as Scott headed wordlessly into the next exam room. She led Susie into the exam room where a resident was removing the c-collar from around Cosmo's neck. She moved to the side of the gurney tipped her head to look at him.

"I'm okay, Mom," the little boy murmured as he grinned slightly. "I got to ride inside an ambulance with the sirens on. It was awesome." Susan laughed softly and her arm tightened around Susie's shoulders. She winced a little as a nurse cut away the tee shirt he wore and she saw the speckles of blood from a glass spray on his bare shoulder.

"No stitches," David said as his fingers gently brushed the dots of dried blood away. Cosmo winced as the doctor manipulated his shoulder a bit. "Can you move your elbow for me, kiddo? And maybe your fingers?" Cosmo nodded and lifted his arm a bit. Susan glanced down at the boy's fingers to see that were moving slowly.

"We'll get some x-rays of that shoulder and arm," David said. "And MRIs for all of them but I think they were very lucky. Everything looks good so far." Susan nodded and put her hand on the top of Cosmo's head. She glanced up and saw Scott in the next room. He was sitting next to Casey on the gurney listening as she talked a mile a minute. Molly was standing at the window wrapped in a blanket and watching them worriedly as they waited. He grinned and flashed her a thumbs up and Susan's grip tightened on Susie. She leaned to kiss the top of her head. Scott's smile faded slightly and he eased himself off the gurney. He said something to Casey and she nodded. She hopped off the gurney and moved to stand next to Molly at the window.

"What's the word in here?" Scott asked as he opened the swinging door. Susie let out a sob.

"I crashed your car," she squeaked miserably as she buried her face against the cold pack in her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh honey, that's not what I heard," he said as he gathered Susie against his chest and hugged her close. "Casey said the car was coming right at you and you told them to cover their eyes so they wouldn't get any glass in them."

"Uh huh," Susie sobbed.

"And then you gunned the engine to get out of the way," Scott continued.

"But it wasn't fast enough and there was another car in front of us," the girl cried. Scott's eyes met Susan's and he frowned sympathetically.

"You kept them safe, sweetheart," he crooned. "I was going to get a new car soon anyway. It's okay."

"Susan," Lily said as she opened the door and poked her head into the exam room. "They're ready for them in Radiology." Susan nodded and saw the two aides waiting with wheelchairs.

"I'll go up with them while you stay with Cosmo," Scott said as he guided Susie toward the door. Susan nodded and turned back to the little boy on the gurney. She gently patted his shoulder and smiled down at him.

"I'm okay, Mom," he said. "Really. Susie did good. It's not her fault."

"I know," she sighed softly. She looked back at the door as Scott pushed it open again.

"Uh….maybe we should switch," he said with a frown. Susan moved toward the door and followed his gaze. His in laws were at the desk talking to Frank. Susan stepped out of the exam room just as Rachel turned to face them. Susan shivered with the chilliness emitting from the older woman's eyes. Even at a distance.

"That's what you were worried about," she said softly. Scott nodded slowly and nudged Susie's wheelchair toward the elevator that had just taken Casey and Molly upstairs.

"Go with her and I'll be right up with Cosmo," he said softly. "He'll be fine."

"They're going to take Molly and Casey away from you and it's all my fault," Susie cried fearfully. Susan bent down and kissed the top of the girl's head as she pushed the chair toward the opening elevator door.

"No, it's not, sweetie," she said as she rolled the chair into the elevator and the doors closed behind them. She knelt next to the wheelchair and studied her niece's face. Her left temple and cheekbone were already purpling with bruises. She told the cold pack from Susie's hands and held it in place on the side of her face.

"I think you're the one with the concussion, kiddo," she said. "Did you hit the steering wheel with your face?"

"The window," Susie said as she shivered. "The car came at us from a side street."

"So your head went one way and then whiplashed back to the window?" Susie nodded and then grimaced as she gingerly stretched her neck.

"Why didn't you let Zadro put a collar on you?" Susan scolded as she stood up when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

"I didn't think I needed one," Susie said. "Adrenalin, I guess." Susan shook her head and pushed the chair into the corridor and around a corner toward the radiology doors. Molly was waiting beside an x-ray door in her wheelchair.

"Where's my Dad?" she asked. "They just took Casey in." Susan pushed Susie's chair next to Molly's and adjusted the blanket she had around both girls.

"He's downstairs with Cosmo," she said as Molly reached for Susie's hand. "He will be right up with him."

"Your grandparents are here," Susie said dully. Molly's eyes widened.

"We don't have to go with them, do we?" she asked fearfully. "If they take us now, they won't let us ever come back. I know they won't."

"Stop it, both of you," Susan groaned as she rolled her eyes. "Nothing is going to happen." She rapped sharply in the x-ray room doors.

"Everything will be fine," she said as the door opened and she stepped inside the radiology room. Molly glanced mournfully at Susie and the two of them sighed heavily as they gripped hands.


	16. Aftermath

Susan adjusted the light blanket over her sleeping son and loosened the clasp on the sling he had refused to take off. She brushed the light brown hair off his forehead and smiled a bit as she studied his face. There were still small blood specks on the side of his cheek from the shattered car window glass. They were tiny black dots intmixed with his freckles. Her eyes shifted to the dark eyes of the chocolate colored lab that was snuggled against Cosmo's side as he watched her movements. Susan smiled affectionately and ran her hand over the dog's head.

"Good boy, Fudge," she said and the dog's tail whapped on the blankets. "Keep a close eye on him." The dog yawned and settled his head on the little boy's stomach. Susan bent to press a light kiss to Cosmo's forehead and switched the bedside lamp off before making her way out of the room and into the hall. She pulled the door closed but then left it open a crack so the hall light spilled into the little boy's bedroom. She made her way past her own bedroom door to the room at the end of the hall. She pushed the door open slightly and then smiled softly. She made her way to Susie's bedside. Susan carefully eased the book out of the sleeping girl's hands and set it on the table next to her. She adjusted the pillow a little behind the neck brace the girl wore and then eased a strand of strawberry blond hair away from the sticky Velcro closures.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered as she pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead. She switched off the bedside lamp and made her way out of the room. Her own bedroom was a mess. The sheets on her bed were a twisted, rumpled mess from her romp with Scott and she grinned in remembrance as she pulled them straight and smoothed down the coverlet again. She tossed their still damp towels into her laundry hamper and changed into a black cami and yoga pants for bed. She had just settled under her bed covers when her cell phone rang. She reached over and picked it up to see Scott's picture on the caller id.

"Duplex Urgent Care and Clinic," she said as she tucked the phone against her ear.

"I like the sound of that," Scott chuckled. "You really ought to think about doing it."

"Right," Susan drawled with a chuckle. "Just ear aches, raw throats and soccer injuries? No thanks." She grimaced as she reached down under her blankets and pulled out the panties she had been wearing earlier in the day. She grinned an little and then tossed them in the general direction of her laundry hamper.

"How are they doing?" he asked.

"Drugs are wonderful," she sighed. "They are both sleeping like little lambs."

"Same here," he chuckled. "But without the meds. They want to go to school tomorrow."

"Cosmo was whining about missing his class picnic on Wednesday," Susan sighed.

"We drove by to see the car tonight, Susan," he said quietly. "We really dodged a bullet tonight, hon."

"And you know that means we can't have sex again, right?" Susan suppressed a grin as there was silence on the other end of the call.

"No…I think it means we can't ever put our phones on silent again," he finally said. Susan laughed quietly.

"Don't scare me like that," Scott scolded with a laugh. Susan sighed happily and adjusted the pillow under her head.

"Margaret said to tell you that she can help out with Susie and Cosmo this week," he said. "She just needs to know when you are scheduled to work."

"Well, actually I am not working at all," she said. "Abby organized the other attendings and they are covering my shifts for me so I can stay home."

"She'll be disappointed," Scott wheedled. "There's not a lot to do around here when the girls are in school and she is dying to get her hands on Declan. My housekeeper has a thing for babies. She misses her grandkids."

"I will tell Abby but Declan is going to the hospital day care this week because Lauren's Pre-K class has school every day all day so they can practice for Kindergarten next year," Susan sighed. "Everything just worked out for us."

"Can I still come by after I drop the girls off at school tomorrow?" he wheedled. "I can bring some bagels for breakfast." Susan smiled and dropped her hand gently into the impression in the pillow next to hers.

"I would love to see you tomorrow," she said softly and then frowned slightly. "Scott, did they say anything to you? Is this going to come up in the custody suit?"

"They just wanted to see the girls and make sure they were all right," he assured her. "And if it does come up, we'll just let the lawyers handle it."

"Susie is worried about it," Susan sighed. "Very worried."

"It was an accident, Susan," he said firmly. "She did everything she could to keep them safe."

"I know, but…"

"But, nothing," he interrupted. "We can't live our lives being worried about every little thing."

"This wasn't a little thing," she said. "They could have died."

"But they didn't," he said. "I trust Susie and you heard what that paramedic said." Susan sighed. Zadro had emphatically assured them that he had never seen an accident victim - especially a teenager - be as calm and clear thinking as Susie had been at the scene.

"Around 8:30 tomorrow morning then," Scott said. "Don't get up. I have my key." The cell phone clicked in her ear and Susan sighed as she turned her own off and set the phone on her table. She switched off her bed side lamp and then sighed as she nestled into her pillow. It was only a moment later when a cold nose nuzzled hers and the dog jumped onto her bed and stretched out on the comforter next to her.

"Fudge!" she scolded. "You are NOT the one I want to cuddle with tonight." The chocolate lab yawned and sleepily settled his muzzle onto her side and her waist. Susan rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around the dog's neck.


	17. At Last

Three days later, Abby looked up from the stack of files in front of her on the desk and frowned in confusion at Frank as Susan entered the ER doors from the ambulance bay.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her.

"I am hoping you guys are getting slammed so I can work for a little bit," Susan groaned as she dropped her bag on the counter top and glanced around. "I just dropped Cosmo off at school for the afternoon. He was driving me crazy because he wanted to see his friends. And Scott has a meeting with his lawyer that I have been requested to attend and I can NOT sit next to Susie on the couch and watch one more chick in peril movie on afternoon television so please tell me that you can use me here." Abby studied her sympathetically for a moment. Wordlessly she gathered up the stack of patient files.

"I'll be in the lounge catching up on paperwork," she said blithely as she headed away from the desk. "Be my guest and grab a chart." Susan grinned and took a deep breath.

"Abby," she called and then looped her purse over Abby's shoulder. "Thank you!"

"You know that you're nuts, right?" Frank said as Susan slipped into her lab coat and looped her stethoscope around her neck. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a chart from the stand.

"Says you," she grumbled happily and headed for an exam room. Frank snickered and reached for the phone as it began to ring.

"ER," he said.

Several hours later she was wondering about the wisdom of her actions after all. An attempt to kill a few hours of waiting had turned out to be a rough few hours at the hospital. She opened the door of the conference room she had been directed to and smiled wanly as Scott looked up from his seat at the table. He stood up and pulled back a heavy chair next to him as he waited for her to circle the huge wooden table in the center of the room. Susan sighed as she leaned into his hug before taking the seat next to him.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked as she set her purse on the floor and then laced her fingers into his.

"I lost a patient this afternoon," she said sadly. "It was a drive by shooting and a little kid." Scott grimaced sympathetically and tightened his hold on her hand.

"Abby had just sent his sister to surgery when I left," she said heavily. "They don't know if she is going to make it." Susan shook her head.

"What is going on in this world?" she sighed. "He was only eight years old. It could have been Cosmo."

"But it wasn't," Scott said firmly as he drew her into a hug again. He brushed her hair away from his face. "You know that you take a chance every time someone is brought into the ER like that. All you can do is the best you can do, Susan."

"I know," she replied quietly and then pulled back. "It's just that on some days that little urgent care clinic idea with its steady stream of ear aches and soccer injuries sounds pretty appealing." Scott grinned and reached from the handkerchief in his pocket. She smiled gratefully and took it from him. They both looked up as the door to the conference room opened and Matt entered. He was smiling as he moved to the chair at the end of the table and set a thick file on the table.

"What's going on, Matt?" Scott asked. His lawyer just shrugged.

"I have a vague idea," the older man said as he sat in the chair and pulled himself closer to the table. "I think all we will have to do is sit and listen this time." Scott exchanged confused looks with Susan and then they all looked up as the doorway was filled with Stephen. They watched as he led Rachel to a chair and held it out for her, waiting for her to be seated before sitting next to her. Their lawyer took a seat at the end of the table across from Matt. Wordlessly he slid two file folders to the middle of the table. Scott reached for one, opened it and then handed it to Susan.

She opened the file folder and began to rifle through the stack of pictures inside.

"You've had someone stalking us?" she choked in surprise. "Who took these?"

"I did," Stephan said quietly. Susan looked up at him and then back at the pictures. She slid aside an eight by ten print of Cosmo and Casey sitting in pajamas on the front porch of the duplex in all of their calamine lotiony glory as she studied it. They were intently swabbing pink cream from a paper cup onto the chicken pox on each other's arms. And then onto the dog in the next picture. The next one was a picture of Scott on the muddy ground with Casey, Cosmo and Molly tumbling all over him. And then one of her and Scott half sitting on the hood of his car as they laughed at something happening during a football practice. And another one taken through the window of Northwestern's lobby as they hugged one another. She stopped and picked up a black and white print of she and Casey snuggled together on the couch of the duplex porch. Chicken pox and calamine lotion dotted the little girl's face but she was smiling as she had one arm wrapped around Susan's neck and Susan was pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I think I want to put that one in a frame," Scott said softly as he took the picture from her. Susan looked up at him and then at the couple across the table from them. They were sorting slowly through a similar collection of photographs.

"Rachel," Stephen said as he gently pushed a photo of Molly and Susie on the park swings with Lauren toward her. "Why don't you want this life for our girls? They're very happy."

"They're happy with us as well, Stephen," she said firmly. He shook his head slowly.

"Honey, we're grandparents," he said slowly. "We should be there for them to talk to, spoiling them rotten and helping out when the need arises. Bugging them because their homework isn't finished or making sure their school uniforms are properly pressed isn't our job. We did that all that with our own daughter."

"And she's not here to do it with them," Rachel cried angrily. "We have been over and over this, Stephen."

"But their father is here," her husband interjected quietly and firmly. "Scott is a good dad and you know that. If you keep making those little girls choose between us and him, we may lose them for good."

"Because of her." Susan's eyes narrowed a bit as the older woman tipped her head in her direction. Susan started to say something and stopped as Scott's fingers squeezed hers. Stephen rifled through the pictures in front of them and slid a picture of a still costumed Molly hugging Susan after the dance recital and another one of Susan helping Casey adjust a football jersey and pads with a laughingly annoyed grin on her face.

"She is good for them, Rachel," he said firmly. "But it's not up to us to make that choice. It's Scott's and he has their best interest in mind, sweetheart." The older man looked from one lawyer to the other.

"We want to drop the case," he said firmly.

"And keep things the way they were," Rachel added. Stephen shook his head.

"No," he said as he turned back to her. "We want to drop all of it. We want them to come to us because they want to and not because we have a piece of paper that says they have to."

"But Christmas…" Rachel protested. Her husband reached for her hand.

"I don't want to go through another Christmas like the last one," he said. "We can take them back to the islands some other time during the year. We'll do it when they want to come with us." Stephen clung to her hand and Rachel avoided making eye contact with Susan or Scott.

"What do we have to do?" Stephen asked as he gripped his wife's hand in his and glanced from one lawyer to the other.

"If you are certain that this is what you want to do," their lawyer said quietly. "There are just some papers that need to be signed and delivered to the court."

"We can fax them from here, if you like," Matt offered. All eyes were on Rachel as she slowly slid a finger through the pictures that spilled from the file in front of her. She took a deep breath and then sighed heavily.

"All right," she said softly. "I suppose we are finished with this." Stephen smiled broadly and patted his wife's hand.

"We can do it in my office, if you like," Matt offered. "I will have my secretary fax the paperwork." The lawyers gathered up their papers and stood up with Stephen and Rachel. She picked up the file of pictures and started to follow them.

"Rachel," Scott said. She stopped and turned to look at him. There was a sense of defeat in her stance.

"Friday morning is their last day of school," Scott said. "The girls are looking forward to having lunch with you afterwards. It's a tradition, right?" Rachel sighed heavily and nodded slowly.

"Thank you," she replied softly. Stephen grinned and wrapped an arm across her shoulders. He winked at them as he led her from the conference room and closed the door behind them. Susan thought for a moment and then turned to Scott with a confused frown.

"Did we just participate in an intervention?" she asked. Scott began to laugh and leaned over to kiss her.

"I think it's over," he sighed happily as he pressed his forehead to hers. Susan reached up to cup his cheek in her palm.

"Oh, honey," she said. "It's never going to be over. Those two are going to be a thorn in your side for the rest of their lives." She kissed him lightly.

"I hope you're prepared for that," she sighed.

"Are you?" His blue eyes searched hers. Susan frowned slightly.

"I am not going to have to properly press their school uniforms or anything, am I?" she asked woefully. Scott shook his head.

"I don't," he said. "I just toss them in the dryer for a minute and then shake them out."

"Oh good," she laughed. Scott chuckled and picked up her hand as he let out a huge breath.

"Let's get out of here,' he said as he stood up and pulled her to his feet. Susan reached for her purse and then laughed happily as Scott drew her into a tight hug and nuzzled her neck.

The cars were still gone and the duplex quiet as they pulled into the driveway.

"I don't think they're back yet," Susan said as he opened the car door for her. "Cameron's mom was going to take the boys and Lauren for ice cream after school. I imagine they will be pretty hopped up on sugar and not hungry for dinner for a while."

"Let's go for a walk," he said. She grinned tossed her purse back in the car and he locked the door. They headed up the sidewalk toward the park, hand in hand, enjoying the sun and cool breeze. They sat down on the bench by the running path and Susan sighed and looked up at the sky. She glanced at him and then frowned slightly as she studied the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I have something to show you and I am not sure how you are going to take it," he said. She straightened worriedly.

"What?" she asked. She watched as he thought for a moment and then reached inside his suit jacket and brought a small, silken bag from his pocket. He watched her eyes as he opened the bag and slowly shook the contents into his hand. He held up a diamond ring as she gasped softly.

"My girls picked it out for you," he said softly. "They don't know that I bought it though. We were in the jewelry store by the dance studio playing a game one day. I asked them 'which one do you think Lauren would like, which one would Abby like, which one would Grandma like' and this is the one they chose when I asked which one they thought you would like. I think it's perfect, don't you?"

"Scott…" Susan warned softly.

"I have been carrying it around with me for a while," he went on as he slipped the ring into his palm. "I didn't want you to think that I wanted us to get married because of the custody suit or anything. But I do want to marry you."

"I come with an awful lot of baggage," Susan grimaced.

"Baggage?" Scott scoffed as he sat back against the bench seat. "Honey, you have one kid headed to college with a full scholarship and the other is going to figure out how to change the world with Legos. I, on the other hand come with a daughter that is going to keep us broke with $70 toe shoes and podiatry visits while the other aspires to be the first female kicker for the Chicago Stars. That's not to mention a set of ornery ex-in laws that, and how did you say it….are going to be a thorn in our side for the rest of their lives? And you think you've got baggage?" Susan laughed softly as tears stung her eyes.

"Where would we live?" she sniffed worriedly as she continued to study the glittering ring he held.

"My house, I hope. It's got more bedrooms," Scott said as he turned to her. "And it's funny that you should ask that. I don't think you have ever met my neighbors, have you?" Susan shook her head and wiped away a tear that threatened to spill down her cheek. Scott grinned and slipped an arm across her shoulders and drew her back against the bench, closer to his side.

"There is this couple that live right behind me," he said. "A really sweet older couple. They have been thinking about selling so they can move closer to their children in Arizona, I think. Anyway, they love their house and haven't really wanted to sell it to just anyone. But they have kind of taken a shine to a friend of ours….a doctor from Croatia? I think they are going to give him a really good deal." Susan sat up and looked at him.

"That's why you and Luka were talking about landscaping. Abby never said a word," she said. Scott grinned and drew her back against him.

"She doesn't know about it yet," he said. "Luka is taking her to look at the house as soon as you and I get…this…worked out. And he is getting kind of impatient." He worked the ring back up into his fingers and she blinked back tears as she looked at it again.

"I love you, Susan," he said as he kissed her forehead and rolled the ring in his fingertips. "I want us to share our lives. Will you marry me?" Susan studied the ring for a long time and then looked at him. She sniffed and then leaned forward to kiss him.

"Yes," she said and slipped her arms around his neck. Scott sighed held her close as he began to shake.

"You had me pretty worried there for a minute, babe," he whispered in her ear. She laughed and tears began to stream down her cheeks as he kissed her and then reached for her hand. Susan watched as he slipped the circle of diamonds onto her finger and then looked up at him. Scott was blinking back tears of his own and she reached up to caress his cheek. He pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand and then sighed happily as he drew her into his arms again.


	18. The Diag

Susan shifted herself on the concrete bench and glanced about her. She blinked in the bright afternoon sun and studied the students and parents milling around on the dark red brick commons. They were surrounded by stately buildings, trees with late summer leaves that were still green, white globed street lights and happy, excited voices.

The University of Michigan Diag.

Susie had talked of nothing else for days. How this was the place for all the action on campus. Susan stole a glance toward the girl seated at her side and suppressed a smile. She appeared to be rather nonchalant as she people watched but Susan could feel her niece's excitement almost vibrating from her slim body.

"Do you think Scott will be able to find someplace to get some ice cream?" the girl asked.

"Probably," Susan shrugged. "He has an inner radar for all things ice cream."

"Like Uncle Chuck did," Susie grinned.

"And Luka…." Susan added.

"Do you think it's a guy thing? Like something genetic?" Susie frowned a little and pushed her sunglasses up onto her head. Susan shrugged.

"If it is, I got a healthy dose of that gene," she chuckled wryly. "Too much, in fact." Susie grinned and studied her aunt. Susan took a deep breath.

"I guess this is really going to happen, isn't it?" she sighed. "This is it. This is the end for us."

"The end?" Susie's brow wrinkled worriedly and her voice rose into a whine. "You mean, I can't come…home….any more? Not even for Christmas? And what about the wedding party? I can't help plan it? Or come to it?" She dropped her face dramatically into her hands and began to sob.

"Stop that," Susan said dryly. "You know what I mean." Susie peeked up through her fingers and then grinned as she sat up straighter. Susan hesitated and then gathered the girl into a hug.

"You know what I mean," she said again sadly. "You won't be right down the hall any more. Or across the dinner table."

"I'm only a phone call away," Susie murmured as she returned the hug. "Or send a text message…."

"It's not the same," Susan sighed. "What am I going to do without you?" Susan felt the girl chuckle softly.

"I'm leaving you in pretty good hands," she said and loosened her hold on Susan. Susan reached up to wipe a tear from her eye and then glanced in the direction of Susie's tipped smile. They grinned at one another and watched as Scott, Molly, Casey and Cosmo crossed the sidewalk and headed toward them. Scott was holding an ice cream cone in one hand and Cosmo's hand with the other. They wore matching cargo shorts and new U of M wolverine tee shirts. Casey tripped along beside them in a similar shirt, happily licking her own cone and struggling to keep her fluffy curls away from her face. Molly, all graceful legs and arms in shorts and a U of M cami top, followed them with her ice cream in a dish.

"I really should say good bye," Susie said as she glanced at her watch. "Our dorm is sponsoring a freshman mixer and cookout for dinner and I promised Heather we could go and make some new friends."

"And meet some guys," Susan added drolly. Susie grinned brightly.

"That too!" she laughed and stood up. She bent to hug Susan again.

"I love you, Aunt Susan," she said softly and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for being there for me." The girl pulled away suddenly and turned. Susan watched her wait for someone on a bicycle to pass and then crossed the wide common area toward Scott…and the rest of her family. She wrapped Molly and Casey into a hug and then kissed their cheeks. Molly nodded happily as Susie said something to her. Susie turned to Scott and he smiled, wrapping her into a tight hug. Susan's eyes shifted to her son as he waited and licked away at his ice cream. There was a catch in her throat as she remembered the very first moment he had met Susie.

He had been three years old. She was twelve and had just arrived in Iowa after a very long drive from Ohio. Susie was dressed all in black with chains and colorfully dyed hair. Trying her best to be intimidating. He'd scratched his sunburned snub of a nose as he studied her and then pronounced, "I yike your hair. It's a rainbow!" They had bonded from that very first moment. Best friends and comrades. And now, five years – and a life time - later, he waited patiently.

Susan chuckled as Scott rescued the ice cream cone from Cosmo's hand as the little boy leaped into Susie's arms when she turned to him. She hugged him close as he wrapped his skinny legs around her waist. Tears slipped slowly down Susan's cheeks.

Best friends and comrades.

What would she ever do without her?

Susan smiled as Susie set Cosmo back on the ground and ruffled his hair – something he hated. Cosmo pulled away and reached from his ice cream cone again. Susie turned to her and waved one last time and then pulled her hair back into a pony tail. She adjusted her sun glasses and jogged off on the sidewalk in the direction of her dormitory. Susan wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up with a smile as Scott and his entourage headed toward her.

"Susie is going to skype with me every Saturday morning before I go to dance class," Molly grinned. "She promised."

"Is that so?" Susan sighed as she hugged the happy girl to her side.

"We should probably get on the road," Scott said as he handed his ice cream cone to her. "We have a long drive ahead of us and Luka and Abby need the trailer tomorrow for the big move." Susan nodded as she tasted his ice cream and then handed the cone back to him. She took Cosmo's hand in hers and slipped an arm around Scott's waist.

"Let's go home," she said as she lifted her face for a kiss. He smiled and obliged.

"Uh…Daddy? Susan?" Casey scoffed warningly. "Remember Susie's rule about kissing in public places?"

"Yeah, get a room, why don't you?" Cosmo sighed.

"Cosmo!" Susan was aghast as she pulled her face away from Scott and looked down at her son. He grinned up at her and shrugged. She laughed and then looked at Scott.

"Home it is," he grinned and took her hand. The five of them headed off in the direction of the parking lot where their car – and an empty trailer - waited to take them home.

The End

_I have loved the years I have spent with my Duplex family stories. Having them to bring out and 'play' with has made the world without 'ER' much easier to bear. But, as with all good things, it is time to put them to rest. Thank you for reading them. LLF_


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